


Reindeer Games

by Fehnryr



Category: Frostiron - Fandom, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Drama, FrostIron - Freeform, High Levels of Snark, Humor, IronFrost - Freeform, M/M, Panic Attacks, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-13 12:36:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/824381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fehnryr/pseuds/Fehnryr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set Post Avengers, Pre Iron Man 3, Pre Thor 2.</p><p>Loki has escaped his imprisonment and fled to Earth. He starts up his usual mischief again and the Avengers are called in to take care of it, but it might be more than just games this time. Realizing he won't be able to get himself out of the trouble he's created alone, Loki appears before Tony Stark battered, bloody and bruised. He demands his aid in exchange for valuable information and Tony decides to humor him. </p><p>Serious trouble and crazy new villain aside, Tony knows that Loki is up to something. Loki won't stop playing mind games with him; mind games that make Tony think he's attracted to the god. But Loki swears it's not his doing- so what is it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! A few things have changed to help out the flow of the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

"Incoming!" Steve shouted, his voice crackling through Tony's ear piece and contributing to his headache. Ironman turned abruptly and saw Loki’s staff aimed in his direction. It was a different staff than the one he remembered from New York, but he didn't have much time to consider the significance when it shot out a stream of raw magic. He managed to clear it with an inch to spare.

"It's the light posts," Black Widow announced from further down the street. "He's using them for something. They're all charged with magic; I can't touch them."

"Roger that," Fury's voice sounded. "Have Hawkeye take some shots at the lights and see if that does anything."

Easy for him to say. Fury was safe up in his little helicarrier while they were running through the streets, trying to thwart Loki's latest plan. Ironman punched his thrusters and closed the gap between him and Loki. Loki fizzled out of sight. "Another clone," Tony spat. He was getting really sick of this. He was supposed to be at home rocking out to Zeppelin and modifying his new car, not chasing a god that was supposed to be imprisoned in an entirely different realm.

“Negative on the light bulbs, Director," Hawkeye reported after losing a few arrows. "They just bounce right off." He returned to his original task, which was shooting down as many Loki Clones as he could. There were at least thirty left and the Avengers were running out of stamina. None of them had expected to be fighting together against Loki only seven months after the attack on New York, and all of them had been off doing their own thing when Loki had sprung up in the park and started blowing stuff up. 

"Hulk?" Ironman questioned. His green friend was a step ahead of him, already trying to snap one of the poles in half. It bent a considerable amount before the Hulk went flying, green magic swirling around his hands like electricity. Tony sighed and pulled himself upright in the air. "I guess if you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself. Jarvis, scan those poles for everything and anything. Let's find a weakness in them, and quickly."

" _Certainly, sir,_ " Jarvis agreed. Ironman circled one of the posts, finally settling on trying is laser. To his surprise it cut through the pole easily, somehow able to bypass the glowing green magic. The light flickered out and the entire thing came crashing to the ground. So much for the park’s well-trimmed shrubbery. 

"Good going, Ironman. Think you can take out twelve more?" Fury sounded grudgingly impressed.

"No can do, boss man. I've only got two of those babies and they're one shot only." He popped the useless cartridge off of his hand and eyed the other poles. "Got a preference?"

It was Hawkeye that spoke up. "I do. Go for the flagpole in the courtyard at the end of the line of poles. I can't say for sure, but it seems like Loki's made an arrow out of his magic. That's the tip."

“I'm on it," Tony responded. He didn't bother to mention that the flagpole was about six times as thick as the light poles and a great deal taller. There was really no way to take it down without causing a lot of damage to the rest of the park.

“ _Sir,_ " Jarvis finally intoned after silently running his calculations. " _The weakest point of the poles is exactly eighty-four inches from the bottom, best approached by a slight upward angle. I recommend slicing them cleanly, as they are designed to withstand brute force._ "

"Got that Captain?" Tony instructed. He'd made sure to relay Jarvis' info to the Captain's earpiece.

Captain America finished bashing another one of Loki's clones into the cement, then lifted his shield. "Easily spoken, but I don't exactly have a ruler on me. Care to give me some help?"

Ignoring Fury's protests and comments about the flagpole being more important, Tony changed his flight pattern. A marker lit up on his HUD, exactly eighty-four inches from the base of the light post. "Aim for me, pretty boy," Tony called, hovering next to the mark and extending his arm to touch the exact point. Captain America flung his shield into the sky and sun glinted off the sharpened edge. It had taken a lot of pestering on Tony’s part to make those modification to Cap’s shield, but they were already proving their worth. Tony moved just in time. The light post came crashing down, fizzling as the green magic escaped it and dispersed into the air. They didn't wait long before Tony lined up at another, repeating the process until only two poles remained standing.

Just as they were preparing to take out the last two, something slammed into Tony's side and knocked him completely off course. He heard a belated warning in his ear from Hawkeye, but his mind was more focused on rearranging his limbs so that he wouldn't land in a crumpled heap. The force drove him straight through a wall and he smacked into the ground, using his repulsors to bounce instead of slide. He finally came to rest against the wheel of a Bugatti. 

"Man of Iron, you are testing my patience more than you could possibly know."

The silky voice was familiar, having visited Tony in several of his nightmares. He pulled himself slowly to his feet. A quick scan of his surroundings told him they were in a parking garage full of extremely expensive cars. This would be fun. "Care to tell me if you're a clone or not? You know, I hate to waste my time. Pepper gets on my ass for that sort of thing."

Loki rustled his cape, shaking off the dirt and debris that clung to it from the wall. Something seemed odd about him. It was almost as if he were tired. Weaker. "I grace you with the original at this moment. Having a clone of myself beat you into the ground would do little to soothe my temper."

"You know, your bad moods don't seem so bad. A lot less green rage monster and a lot more Cheshire cat. Maybe you could give my buddy Bruce some pointers." Usually his talking came as a natural thing, but right now he was trying to buy time. His suit was trying to recalibrate his weapons systems and until it finished, he was a sitting duck. "So, do tell; how did I manage to piss you off this time? I need to take note of these things you know. Important stuff." He flashed Loki a grin that wouldn't be seen past his face mask. 

"This is beyond you," Loki hissed. 

"You know, I think your brother said the same-" Oops. Loki thrust his staff in Tony's direction and a blast of light sent him flying over the Bugatti and crashing down on an Aston Martin before he could finish his sentence. 

"Silence! He is not my brother and you are an ignorant mortal! It is your own doom that you have brought about today, and I do hope you will remember that when Eindrok is peeling your flesh from your bones!"

"Ein-who?" But there was no time for talking. Loki approached with fascinating speed and lifted him from the demolished car. Just in time, Jarvis announced that his weapons had been recalibrated. Ironman released a concussive blast from his uni-beam that sent Loki high into the air. The Asgardian’s helmet hit a concrete beam with such force that it cracked and fell from his head, rolling next to his crumpled form. "Ouch," Tony cringed sympathetically. 

Aiming all of the weaponry located on his suit's arms straight at Loki, he approached slowly. He placed a boot on the god's shoulder and rolled him over, surprised to find that he was unconscious. Well then. "Loki's down. Everyone still bright and chipper?" It sure didn't feel like it was only noon.

"He's down? Where are you?" Fury hadn’t seen Tony go through the wall. Tony didn't hear the question though. He yanked off his helmet and one of his gloves to wipe the sweat from his eyes and drink in the fresh air. 

"Come now, Stark; you know I'm not that easy," Loki purred from behind him. His staff released another blast and Tony went flying, landing on the concrete instead of another car. He skinned his hand on the rough floor and it stung terribly, but he didn't let it distract him. In seconds he was back on his feet, aiming his one armored hand at the trickster. 

Loki closed the distance this time and slipped his slender hand around Tony's throat. "You're really annoying," Tony managed to croak before the fingers tightened too much for him to breathe. Struggling for air, he swung his armored hand up and wrapped it around the wrist of Loki's staff hand. He fired off the repulsor ray and Loki howled, dropping him immediately in favor of cradling his injured and bleeding wrist. The staff clattered to the ground and Tony wasted no time charging into him, knocking them both to the floor. 

The god was sprawled beneath Tony, wrists pinned firmly on either side of his head. His usually pale cheeks were flushed pink from exhaustion and his hair was mussed, part of it lying in the puddle of their blood that was collecting beneath his hand. For a second, Tony found himself incredibly distracted by the way the god's lips were parted and how his breath came in shallow gasps. Loki seemed to notice that Tony was distracted by the sight. He twisted his wrist in the mortal’s grasp and intentionally let out a small whimper of pain, pleased with himself when Tony’s eyes widened, pupils expanding. 

"Stark," Loki breathed. 

Tony released the god's hands like he'd been stung. A smirk of satisfaction tugged at the god’s lips, and then Loki Laufeyson was gone. 

Tony just stared at the spot where Loki's head had been, willing his heart to stop pounding so hard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapters was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! A few things have changed to help out the flow of the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

"Mr. Stark," Pepper spoke to announce her arrival. Her formal greeting was no doubt a reflection of her sour mood. "You have a 2 o'clock with Director Fury on the other side of the country. You should be getting ready to leave."

Tony looked up from Loki's staff and leaned back in his chair, raising the glass of scotch in his hand. "It's not even seven in the morning. I've got plenty of playtime. I could draw up another suit design. Go out to breakfast. Take a nap-" 

"Tony," Pepper interjected, trying not to scowl, "your flight to New York leaves in twenty minutes. Please be ready." She turned on her heel and clicked out of the room.

Tony let out a deep sigh and sank further into his chair. Pepper had been radiating stress since the day he’d come home bruised and battered, holding the staff Loki had left behind in his escape. She remembered all too well the toll New York had taken on Tony and hated to see him doing anything that had to do with Loki. Still, she understood that it wasn’t something he could simply drop. 

Jarvis took his pause for one of consideration and decided to aid him in his choice. " _Sir, of the choices you listed I would most strongly suggest the nap. You have been awake for thirty eight hours and fifteen minutes._ " 

"No can do, Jarvis." Tony knocked back the rest of his scotch and swiveled his chair around. "It's party time."

\--

"A drink, Mr. Stark?" The waitress was a looker, complete with the skin-tight suit typical of Fury's staff. Never mind that she was probably a part time assassin, roped into the side-job of tending to Fury's collection of "heroes". He opened his mouth to ask for a martini, but a one-eyed glare made him reconsider. "Redbull? Do you have that? A Redbull would be lovely." 

Fury redirected his focus to the group and the waitress dipped out of the room. "First I'd like to thank you all for being here." The comment was mostly directed at Banner, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. "I hoped that your vacation after the events of New York would last a bit longer but, as you all know, Loki has returned. We've not been able to make contact with Thor to find out why he’s here, but he's here all the same and something needs to be done about it." Tony noticed the empty seat at the table, no doubt put there with the thunder god in mind. “Thanks to the fundraisers and the unmanned suits Stark donated to the cleanup effort, New York is almost put back together. It sure as hell wouldn’t look good on us if it got crushed again.”

As well deserved as the 'thank you' was, Tony could tell it was sour in Fury's mouth. "What can I say? I'm a great guy. I do great things." Rogers tried to hide a look of disgust at his lack of modesty. Tony just wanted to know where his drink was. 

"Moving on," Fury all but growled, "It has been agreed that monthly conferences will be held to discuss matters relevant to The Avengers and their goal." Banner frowned even more and sank down in his seat. 

“You know, that sounds great and all, but I’m a really busy man. I don’t know if I can fit any monthly get together into my plans.” Tony shrugged and accepted the Redbull from the waitress. He took a long drink of it. “Sour stuff,” he choked. 

“You’ll make time for it, Mr. Stark. You all will. The world needs you now and you will not let them down.” Fury eyed each of them, waiting for an argument. No one spoke. He nodded. “This,” he gestured to the screen, which produced a picture of a tower that reminded Tony of a mix between the late Stark Tower and his Malibu home, “is your new base. I’m sure you will all find it to your liking, as it has been built with each of your tastes and capabilities in mind. You are not required to reside there at all times, but it will remain the center of The Avengers activity.”

Located right in New York. The last place Tony Stark wanted to be. Fury droned on for some time, but Tony’s mind was elsewhere. He heard the mention of a training center and imagined practicing side by side with the other members. A memory of a skillful laser shot that he reflected off the Captain’s shield swam to mind. He remembered being surrounded by the Chitauri, struggling against their numbers until one of the members came to aid him. He remembered-

“Stark!”

Tony’s eyes flew to Steve, who stared at him with concern. His heart raced in his chest and he’d half crumpled his canned drink. “Bathroom,” he spoke. He exited the room quickly. By the time he found the bathroom he could hardly see past the stars in his eyes. He collapsed against the sink and turned it on full force, splashing the cold water on his face with little regard to his clothes. “Breathe,” he reminded himself quietly. “Jarvis. Talk to me.”

“ _Yes, sir. The weather today is mostly sunny with a ten percent chance of evening showers.” He began, speaking slowly as Tony tried to regain his composure. “Ms. Potts has made reservations for dinner this evening and requests that you arrive no later than six thirty p.m. The progress on your latest project is forty three percent. The Rebuild NY fundraiser is six thousand, one hundred, and twenty seven dollars ahead of the projected schedule. Shall I go on?_ ”

“No,” Tony sighed as his shaking legs gave out and he sank to the bathroom’s floor, “that’s good. Thanks Jarv.”

“ _Any time, sir._ ”

The distraction of mundane events and Jarvis’s familiar voice allowed him to catch his breath just before Steve blew through the door. “Are you all right?” He looked Tony up and down, no doubt noticing the water dripping from his hair and his startled expression.

“I’m fine,” he assured, taking Steve’s hand. “Fast food. You never know when it’s going to backfire on you.” Steve nodded at his feeble excuse, but took extra care helping him up. 

\--

“You’re thirty minutes late, Tony.” Pepper frowned and sipped at her iced tea. 

“I figured I’d start working on developing good habits. Starting with consistency.” Tony slipped into the booth and picked up the menu. “You look nice. Did I buy you that dress too?”

“Very funny, and no. Where were you? I called several times.”

“Fell asleep,” he admitted. The chicken marsala looked especially appealing. He expected further argument, but even Pepper knew it was practically a miracle for him to be able to fall asleep. The events of New York had left him with no shortage of night terrors. “So, the meeting. Fury gave us a playhouse. He expects me to at least visit it and see if it’s to my tastes. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea.” So long as Loki wasn’t involved, Pepper was relatively fond of the whole superhero thing. Especially now that she wasn’t directly involved as Tony’s significant other. She claimed it was good for his public image. “I’ll make sure your day is clear tomorrow so you can go.”

“If it’s that easy to clear a day, I think we should discuss vacations. Many consecutive vacations. Maybe even a complete lack of anything that’s not a vacation.” He was only being his usual stubborn self, but Pepper seemed on edge. “Maybe you need a vacation. Do you? You can tell me.”

“If I need a vacation, I will be sure to schedule one for myself,” Pepper assured. They paused their conversation to order their meals. 

“No, you know what? Brilliant idea. I’ll play ‘Good Avenger’ and stay at Fury’s tower with the others, you take a week off. Deal? Deal. Great.” He could tell Pepper wanted to argue, but it was more than obvious that she needed a break. She didn’t really need to know that he was already making plans for the new workshop Fury had put in the tower. 

“Fine, you win. Now lets enjoy dinner. Our flight back leaves in an hour.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! A few things have changed to help out the flow of the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

Late in the night, after Pepper had already gone home and every sane soul in the town was fast asleep in their beds, Tony sat up in his workshop tinkering with his latest suit. After New York, he’d taken to making suit after suit, all capable of acting on their own. It was reassuring, having an arsenal of iron men that could come to his aid if needed. His favorite was still his newest invention- the suit that was tuned perfectly to his body. He didn’t need his bracelets to summon it, only the sensors he’d embedded in his skin. All he needed to do was give a short command and it would come to him from wherever it was and wrap him in its safe cocoon.

Still, it needed adjustments. The left gauntlet had a snag in the locking mechanism that disagreed with the rest of the suit. The right thigh panel had somehow been calibrated to lock on upside down, which was a bug that was giving Tony more trouble than he’d like to admit. Working on his suit was therapeutic though, so he didn’t mind. It was so therapeutic in fact, that he almost didn’t notice the shift of pressure in the room.

“ _Sir, there is an-_ ”

“Silence, computer,” a silky voice commanded.

Tony knew that voice. 

In the span of thirty seconds, Loki was surrounded by no less than five fully functioning and battle-ready suits. “A little paranoid, are we?” Loki purred, slowly raising his hands above his head and eyeing each of the suits with care. 

“To no fault of your own,” Tony responded, his voice thick with sarcasm and exhaustion. His heart felt like a rabbit’s, no doubt aided by the incredible amount of coffee he had consumed prior to this little scare. He raised one armored hand and pointed it at Loki’s chest. The rest of his suit still laid scattered on his work bench, but he didn’t imagine he’d need it tonight.

“Please do tell them to stand down. I've not come with any intention of harming you.” The way his eyes darted from suit to suit amused Tony. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the Asgardian was impressed.

“Of course not. I’m sure you only came for a nice chat and some drinks.” Smart comments aside, why was he here?

“You do still owe me a drink, if I remember our parting words correctly. I'll settle for my staff, though. I have need of it.”

Tony considered for a moment. “Stand down,” he told the suits finally. They could do just as much damage surrounding him as they could lined up non-threateningly against a wall. Loki didn’t need to know that. 

“My thanks,” Loki purred. “Now, to business. I would like to propose a trade; my staff for information.”

Trusting Jarvis’ reaction time better than his own at this hour, Tony turned his back to Loki in a false show of nonchalance. Still, the spot between his shoulder blades seemed to tingle with the anticipation of an attack. He poured himself another cup of coffee and, after a moment’s thought, poured one for Loki as well. “What if I happen to find your little toy incredibly fascinating and I don't want to give it back?"

Loki accepted the coffee that Tony slid across the table and sniffed it gingerly. "Then I'll have to take it by force which, believe it or not, I'm in no mood to do."

Tony eyed him with suspicion. He seemed even more tired than he had when they'd fought last. A faint bruise darkened his cheekbone and his hair looked messier than usual. Even his posture seemed less magnificent and, after a moment more of standing, he actually sank down into Tony's chair. "What information?"

"Any information that you deem worthy of trading for my staff, with a few exceptions."

Tony eyed the staff for a long moment, then sat on his work bench across the table from Loki. "Let me ask you three questions then. If I don't like your answers, you're not getting it back." Loki nodded and sipped at his coffee. Though he might have been mistaken, Tony thought he saw a glimmer of delight in the god's eyes. "First, what does the staff do? Detailed description."

Loki sighed and thought for a moment. "It acts as a reservoir for my excess magic and energy. There are limits to the amount of magic I can store within myself. The staff allows me to circumvent that limit."

This admission alone brought a hundred other questions swimming into Tony's mind, but he reminded himself to choose them carefully. "I thought it let you mind-control people," Tony finally said. It wasn't a question, but it hinted at what he wanted to know: how was this staff different from the other?

Loki noticed his clever trap, but didn't seem to care. "It is not the same staff. The other was given to me by Thanos. This is my own staff, created for me long ago. Now, your second question?" He sipped again at the coffee, obviously enjoying it a great deal. Tony wondered when the last time he'd had anything to eat or drink was. 

"What's the deal with the light poles?"

"I was using them in the same manner as my staff. I adjusted them magically to hold my power and then, over the course of many weeks, filled them with my magic. I meant to use them to defeat a powerful foe until you and your terribly annoying group of 'Avengers' came and interrupted my hard work. Do not think I've forgiven you for it, either." 

Tony couldn't help but think he looked awfully non-threatening, reclining in the chair and drinking out of an Iron Man coffee mug. This was his last question and he had to make it count, but there was so much he wanted to know. Was Loki released or did he escape? Where was Thor? What was his next plan that the Avengers would have to foil? As he thought, he remembered pinning Loki to the ground. He thought of the Asgardian's flushed face as he looked up at Tony, appearing far more like one of Tony's blushing, panting, one-night-stands than a trapped villain.

"Your question?" Loki prompted with an amused and knowing smile on his face.

Suddenly something swam into Tony's mind that he just had to know. "Thor said you're something called a Jotun. That you have another form..."

"No. Choose something else, man of iron. I will not discuss that with you."

Tony imagined there were more important things, but Loki's avoidance of the topic made it all the more intriguing. "Did I hit a nerve? Because if you don't really want your staff back, I'd be happy to keep it. It's a nifty little thing, and now that I know how it works-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Loki had set down his mug, found his way around the table that divided them, picked Tony up by the neck, and slammed him against the wall. "I will not speak of it, Stark."

The fingers that dug into his neck were cold. They darkened the bruises that were still present from last time Loki had deemed it necessary to choke him. "Why not?" He reached his hands up and wrapped them around Loki's wrist. It wouldn't be any trouble to call the suits and blast Loki into oblivion, but whether it was reckless curiosity or something else, Tony couldn't bring himself to do it just yet.

"You are a stubborn creature. Ask your last question so I can be rid of you, and do choose something else." Loki loosened his grip slightly and Tony felt his feet touch the floor again. 

Tony stared defiantly into the eyes of the god. "Your eyes used to be blue. They're green now." Like his staff. He wondered how much about Loki had changed in the seven months he'd been gone.

"A question," Loki demanded. The fight seemed to leave him, though, and he dropped his hand. 

Tony swallowed. "Fine. Who is Eindrok? You mentioned the name last time we fought. Is he your new buddy? Someone to take over the world with?"

"An enemy of mine, and now of yours." Loki suddenly seemed interested in the dark fingerprints that dotted Tony's neck. He grazed a cold finger over them gently. "If you hadn't stepped in I might have defeated him, and your mortal world would be far safer."

Tony wanted to be concerned with the ominous warning, but he found himself trapped in the feeling of Loki's finger gently brushing his neck, and in the trickster's eyes, soft and green and tired. "You're doing this," he realized. "You're playing mind tricks on me and making me vulnerable." He hated the very idea of somebody getting into his mind and playing with it like a toy.

Loki smiled and made a sound almost like a laugh. "No Stark," he leaned down and ran his tongue along the most prominent of the bruises and Tony shivered. "This is not my doing."

Then he was gone, along with his staff and the mug of coffee.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! This chapter was completely rewritten and is far better now! (In my opinion) Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Pepper instructed Jarvis to drop the tinting on the windows and sunlight filled the room.

Tony groaned and rolled over. “Traitor,” he mumbled to Jarvis. 

“My flight leaves soon, but I wanted to drop by and make sure you were up. You’ve got a long day ahead of you and I doubt you’ve even started your packing.” She fished a pair of jeans from his closet and threw them onto the bed, along with a clean pair of boxers.

Tony cracked an eye open and found the glowing digits of his alarm clock. He’d only been asleep for an hour. “Can’t it wait?”

Pepper just put a hand on her hip and gave him The Look. Usually The Look, combined with her normal secretary outfit and professional appearance, was enough to make him do what he was told without further question. Today it wasn’t nearly as effective, as Pepper was dressed far to casually to look intimidating. 

“Vacation, right. Moving and whatnot.” He yanked off his boxers beneath the covers and tugged on the new pair. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him naked before, but that chapter of his life had ended a bit roughly and he figured she didn’t want a show.

“Right,” Pepper nodded. “Everything in the company should be set for the week. Happy’s got most of it under control, I hope.” She looked nervous at the thought of leaving him in charge, but Tony doubted he could do much harm. “Bring a nice suit with you- you’ve got the fundraiser on Thursday in New York to attend. Don’t you dare forget.” Her expression was stern.

“I know, I know.” Tony tugged on his jeans.

“I’ll call if anything happens that needs your immediate attention. Jarvis, make sure he eats and sleeps.”

“ _I suspect that command will be overridden upon your departure but, until then, I will ensure he does._ ”

“Pep, calm down. Do you even know how to take a vacation? It involves relaxing. No phones. No emails. No companies to run. Just fun, sun, booze, and women. Well, men in your case.” 

Pepper rolled her eyes and shifted her purse. “Behave, Tony. If I pick up a newspaper and find out you’ve gotten yourself in a bad situation…”

He stood and crossed the room. “Hell to pay; I know. Have fun.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then steered her to the door. “Go forth and vacation.”  
\--

With Pepper gone, the first task was to start packing. He thought about flying to New York in his suit with the others in tow, but figured it was best to avoid making a spectacle of himself. He picked his two favorites along with his main suit and the one that was still in progress. The would ride with him on his private jet. As for his tools, he had just started packing when Fury called to inform him there was an entire new set waiting at the tower for him. He was starting to feel like a kid on his first day of summer vacation. 

The jet ride there was long and boring. Tony was fidgety and excited to test out his new workshop. Banner would be nearby as well, making it easy for them to collaborate on their work. They had done a few projects together in the past seven months, but Banner wasn’t fond of California and never stayed for long. Tony had originally planned to rebuild the Stark Tower and allow Banner to stay with him there, but after the first week of reconstruction he realized that he couldn’t stand the place. Couldn’t stand the thought of being right under the hole that had ripped open the sky, baring the universe to him. The hole that he’d flown that nuke through. The one he almost hadn’t come back out of. The Stark tower had become a company office building instead: one that he never planned to set foot in again unless absolutely necessary. Luckily the new tower wasn’t even in the same city. Determined to distract his churning thoughts, he spent the rest of the plane ride flirting with the flight attendant. 

When he arrived at the location, he found that the event could only be described as chaotic. Banner had already locked himself, along with his single suitcase, in his new lab. Natasha was following around a nervous looking mover, barking orders about being more careful with her things. Steve's hired help looked like a long line of ants, each carrying a heavy punching bag on their shoulder and marching in the direction of the gym. A glance to the top of the building told Tony that Clint was already making himself a nice nest on the roof. And then there was Thor.

The god had apparently arrived just a few minutes before Tony, and he was a wild mix of emotions. They quickly learned that Loki had fooled them with a clone for almost a month before they had realized he'd escaped. They had then followed six false trails to different parts of the universe, all dead ends. Nobody had thought he'd hide in plain sight, right back on earth resuming his mischievous ways. Except for Thor. 

"He must be found. We believe he had help escaping, so a chance exists that he is working with another." Tony thought to mention Eindrok, but remembered Loki calling him an enemy. 

"Well you're welcome to stay here with us," Steve finally spoke up. "Director Fury kept you in mind while making this tower, which is now serving as the base for the Avengers. We each have a floor to ourselves with a common room in the middle. Yours is second to the top, if you'd like it."

"I would like that very much, Captain of America." Thor beamed and Tony snorted.

"Just call me Steve."

\--

Tony found his floor of the tower much to his liking. The bedroom was simple, furnished with a sleek black dresser, nightstand and bookshelf. The headboard to the king sized bed matched as well, and the bed itself was comfortable. Unable to help himself, Tony dropped his weight onto the bed and bounced up and down a few times. Not a squeak to be heard. Perfect. 

The bathroom was almost obnoxious in its size, especially the Jacuzzi bathtub that he’d probably never use. Then again, sex in a bubble bath was always pretty nice. With that in mind, he dropped his toothbrush and other toiletries on the counter and left to inspect the rest of his floor. 

There was no real kitchen, but the living room did have a mini bar and a mini fridge stocked full of water bottles. All of the cooking and eating would be done in the common room above. “Jarvis, make sure I put a coffee maker in here,” Tony noted aloud after some though. When he received no response, he rolled his eyes at himself.

After inspecting the workshop, which he found small but adequate, he set to work installing Jarvis. All of the basic necessities were there- Fury had certainly thought ahead- but it still took nearly two hours to get Jarvis up and running in the whole tower. 

Dinner was served late, but if anyone had a complaint it was lost when they set eyes on the table. Banner and Thor had managed to cook up a veritable feast and it smelled incredible. Before they all sat down to eat, Tony cleared his throat. 

“I’d like to introduce you all to a friend of mine. Jarvis?”

“ _Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you all._ ”

Thor and Steve’s eyes flew to the ceiling, while Natasha and Banner just looked amused. Barton glanced around suspiciously and raised an eyebrow.

“I know who Jarvis is, but why is he in the ceiling?” Barton didn’t look thrilled at the aspect.

“Because I’m in charge of security and Jarvis is the best of the best. If you need something, tell Jarvis. If suspect a breech in security, tell Jarvis. If you have a question, ask Jarvis." He handed a tablet to each of them. "Don't expect Christmas presents this year. You can use these for whatever you want. S.H.I.E.L.D. info, research, seeing Fury's pretty face while he barks at you, porn, whatever. Don't break them." 

"Thank you, Man of Iron, though I do think I will need your aid with this device. How does one make it react?"

"Oh boy." 

\--

 

Long after dinner, Tony was inspecting his new set of tools and making a list of things he would need to have shipped over from Malibu when Jarvis informed him of a visitor at the door. 

He slipped out of his shop and shut the door behind him, mussing up his hair to give off the appearance of bed head. No doubt Pepper would be questioning the others about his sleep habits. "Who is it, Jarvis?"

" _Doctor Banner, sir._ " Jarvis announced. Tony nodded and opened the door.

“Hey,” Bruce greeted awkwardly. His eyes flicked to the bar and Tony let him in and offered him a drink. He declined, but slipped onto a barstool and fiddled with his hands. 

“What’s up? Shouldn’t you be mediating or something before bed?” Bruce cracked a smile and Tony grinned back. “I’ll figure out how you do it one day. Really though, what’s up?”

“I was just wondering about the staff,” he admitted. “Fury gave it to you, right?”

Tony had to stop himself from groaning out loud. He certainly hadn’t forgotten about Loki’s visit, but somehow the most important part of it- the part where he’d made off with the staff- had been shoved to the back of his mind. Fury was going to be livid. “Don’t get angry,” Tony said, almost chuckling when he remembered who is was talking to, “but I don’t have it any more. Loki stole it back.”

“Through your security?” Bruce looked more impressed than angry.

Tony shrugged and gave him a sheepish grin. “Can’t say I had teleportation in mind when I built my security measures. That’s a project that might take a while.”

Bruce nodded. “Sounds like it. Let me know if you need another brain on the project.” He tapped his head and got to his feet. “You know,” he said almost hesitantly. He pulled his eyes up from the floor and met Tony’s. “Maybe its better if it’s not here. The thought of it manipulating us like last time…” He trailed off. After a moment he scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly. “I guess I'll head off to bed then."

Tony thought about mentioning that it wasn’t the same staff, but he didn’t know how to explain his knowledge of the new staff’s workings without admitting his late night chat with Loki. “Yeah, I should probably do the same. Tomorrow?”

Banner nodded and saw himself out. Tony started back to his shop, but after a second though he turned to his room. He'd have to see about that soundproof flooring before he spent all night making a racket and keeping the others up. Banner was probably a bit more irritable when he didn't get a good night's rest. 

Sleep, as always, evaded him. He sketched ideas in a book for a while, did a few sudoku puzzles, and organized his few non-work related possessions into his temporary closet. He answered some emails and read some articles on the web to see what the latest rumors about Tony Stark were. Between all of these things he nodded off several times, but each short nap ended with him wide awake, heart pounding and sweat beading on his forehead. After the fifth time he finally gave up, set his tablet and sketchpad aside, and slipped outside to go for a jog.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! A few things have changed to help out the flow of the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

The next day passed far more easily than Tony had expected. Aside from a group breakfast, where Tony found out that Thor shared his enthusiasm for coffee and Barton despised washing dishes, they didn’t see much of each other. Natasha and Barton had their tasks with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Thor planned on spending the day in search of his brother. Steve planned on spending the day setting up the gym to his liking, which left Tony and Bruce with nothing to do but work on their project.

It had started off well enough, with Jarvis collecting all readings of Loki’s energy signature and trying to compile them into something readable, but after hours of failed attempts they were starting to lose motivation. 

“It’s like a pressure change,” Tony remembered late in the afternoon. He hoped Bruce wouldn’t question his knowledge. “Like when you go up in a plane or drive up a mountain and you can feel the pressure in your ears.”

“What about a pressure controlled room, then?”

“Maybe, but that sounds too easy. Not to mention we’d never know unless we could get him in one. I doubt that will happen.”

Bruce agreed and they continued to discuss possibilities until they were both tired and nearly brain dead. They were relieved of their project when Jarvis informed them that Steve was about to catch the kitchen on fire with his attempt at cooking dinner.

\--

Tony was just getting ready to call it a night (or morning, since it was nearly four am) when a familiar shift in pressure caught his attention. He waited for the god of lies to appear, ready to call his suits into action, but the room remained empty save for himself.

"Jarvis?" Tony was still adjusting him to the new tower, so he wasn't surprised at the lack of announcement. 

" _Sir, Loki Laufeyson is in your living room,_ " Jarvis finally informed him. Right. Wrong room.

"You've really got to stop popping in on me Bambi," Tony spoke as he rounded the corner of his hallway and entered the living room. "It's not good for my health, you-" 

His words escaped him.

Loki was in his living room all right, but he was more of a crumpled, bloody mess on the floor than an Asgardian god. Abandoning all sense of self preservation, Tony ran to him and rolled him onto his back. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth and his cheekbone was such a dark blue that it had to be fractured at least. A ragged tear through his armor revealed a gash in his chest, and more armor hid other signs of damage. A badly battered hand clutched to half of his staff; the other half was missing. He appeared to be unconscious. 

"Loki?" Tony asked tentatively. He couldn't decide whether to call Banner, Thor, or the entire team.

"Stark," Loki finally croaked, opening the one eye that wasn't swollen shut. "I have information. If you so much as mutter a word," he paused for a moment to cough up a mouthful of blood and spit, "of my presence, I will not give it to you."

"What information could you possibly have that I need?" Even as he spoke words of denial, he helped the god sit up and lean against the bar. He checked his pulse, not considering the possibility that Asgardians had different heart rates, and ran through a mental list of injuries.

"I will tell you. First I must sleep." He closed his eye and sighed deeply, then slumped a bit more. Tony checked his pulse again. It hadn't changed.

"Why me?" Tony groaned to nobody in particular. Grateful that the floor was tile and not carpet, Tony laid Loki down again and started to remove his outfit, leaving only his smallclothes. At first he considered collecting several towels and trying to wipe the blood off, but he settled for turning on the bath and carrying the battered man to it. Suddenly he didn’t think the Jacuzzi was quite as obnoxious. He stripped down to his own boxers and got to the task.

Loki's eye fluttered open when Tony slid him into the water, but he seemed to nod off again shortly after. As gently as possible, Tony patted the blood off his body with a plush sponge, washing away the red to reveal purple and blue and black. Loki had received a hell of a beating. As Tony cleaned him, he couldn't help but wonder what information Loki had. He hoped it was worth keeping Loki a secret from Fury, because he was going to get hell for this if anybody found out. Either way, Tony felt anxious and annoyed. He was supposed to be fighting the villains, not giving them sponge baths.

After Loki was clean and bandaged and tucked into Tony's bed, Tony started on the living room. Again he was grateful for the tile because he didn't do his own cleaning often and had no idea how to get blood out of carpet. He laughed at himself for a moment- what would Pepper say?

When the sun started peeking through the blinds, Tony finally stood and threw the bloodied rags he'd collected into a bag. He’d been awake for almost seventy hours and it was starting to hit him hard. "Jarvis, nobody is to set foot on this floor aside from myself and the crook in my bed. If anybody needs me in the next six hours, tell them to get over it."

" _Certainly, sir._ " 

Tony ventured to his bedroom and stared at the lump under his covers. "You'd better not die," he spoke aloud, though he was doubtful that Loki could hear him. "I do not want to explain your dead body in my bed." Then he stared at the cold, uninviting floor. There was plenty of space left on his king sized bed, but he couldn't exactly... He snorted with laughter again. "Sleeping with the enemy. Wouldn't that get Fury's panties in a bunch." Too tired to care any more, he flopped down on the empty side of the bed and sank into a deep and much needed sleep. 

\--

"Stark."

Tony groaned and rolled away from the light that crept through the window. He rolled into something firm and it hissed at him. "Later, Pep," he mumbled, though it was unintelligible. 

"Stark! Rise or I will set your pillow aflame."

That was Loki's voice. Tony bolted upright and stared in horror. Then the sight of Loki's bruised face brought back the memories of the previous night and he finally understood. "Well would you look at that; you lived."

"Of course I lived," Loki spat. He tried to glare but the swelling in his face allowed nothing more than a sad attempt. "I require sustenance. More bandages as well."

The bandage wrapped around his chest was dark with dried blood. "Right. Stay put. Not sure if you noticed, but every floor aside from this one has an Avenger on it. Don't go wandering around."

"I am aware."

\--

Trying to get enough food for two people from the common room kitchen without being seen proved to be more difficult than expected. Natasha and Clint were busy training and Banner was tinkering with the magic deflecting project Tony had given him, but Steve was practically waiting for him.

"You missed breakfast," he pointed out, looking up from his tablet. 

"Late night," Tony shrugged. "You enjoying your tablet?"

"It is useful. I've discovered many internet pages about us. I don't understand though; if anyone can post on here, how do you know what's true? With books, things have to be verified by publishers. But these..."

"You don't. It's guesswork. Pepper keeps on top of my stuff pretty well, but there are still sites all over claiming that I'm gay or working for the mafia or plotting to take over the world." He pulled two bagels from the bag on the counter and started up the coffee maker. "Jarvis, set up a filter on all tablet devices to mark credible websites. Give them pretty little star in the corner or something."

" _Of course. Would you like color coded ratings?_ "

"Sounds great." He spotted a steak leftover from dinner last night and popped it in the microwave. Red meat was good for blood loss, right?

"Your ceiling voice disturbs me sometimes," Steve admitted. "It feels like being watched."

"Don't worry about Jarvis. He's harmless." Tony didn't say anything about the cameras set up throughout the tower. They were for security purposes only, but none of the Avengers liked being watched. 

Finally, Tony turned to leave the kitchen with two bagels, a steak, two bags of pop tarts, a banana, an apple, and two mugs of coffee. Steve stared at him with suspicion in his eyes. "Feeding an army?" 

"Late night. Hungry. Got lots of work to do. I'll see you for dinner." Tony winked and exited the room.

When he returned, Loki was attempting to rebandage himself. It was comical, almost, to see his stubborn pride in action. While he grumbled and muttered and twisted and groaned in pain trying to mimic the previous bandages, Tony set all of the food out before him on the night stand.

"If you didn't have such a track record for trying to kill me, I'd help you out there." Tony leaned against the dresser and unwrapped a pop tart.

Loki glared. "Perhaps I would not be so inclined to end your life if you spoke less." He reached over his shoulder to grab the roll of bandage and stretch it across his chest again, but stopped halfway and let out a pained groan. What bandage he had managed to get around his chest started to turn red. He stared at it, obviously frustrated but too stubborn to ask for help.

Tony rolled his eyes and dropped his half eaten poptart on the dresser. "Aren't you supposed to have magical healing powers?" He grabbed the rolled bandage from Loki's hand and removed the bit that the god had attempted. "Gauze first." He held up a large square packet and waved it back and forth. 

"My magic is at work, but there are more important things than my chest that it must attend to first."

"Like?" Tony cleaned the wound with antiseptic, then pressed the gauze over it. He still didn't know how to feel about playing nurse for the enemy.

"Several fractures, a broken wrist, spinal damage. Regaining my magic alone takes time. I used the very last of it to come here." He gazed at the food before him and selected the banana.

There it was. The one thing Tony wanted to know. "Why here?"

Loki didn't answer. He ate his banana quietly, raising and lowering his arms as Tony worked the bandage around him. A bagel followed the banana; a wrap to support his wrist followed the chest bandage. An argument arose when Loki desired the steak, as he required Tony to cut it for him. Tony lost and grumbled about being treated like a maid as he sawed through the meat. Loki complained about the taste of the poptart, then glared when Tony mentioned his brother's love for the pastries. The poptart found its way to the floor. By the time all of the food had been consumed and Loki was freshly bandaged and a bit less pale, Tony's opinion of him had changed just slightly. 

Before him, he thought, was more of a moody, injured, spoiled brat than a villain out to conquer the world. He didn't dare voice his thought, but it occurred to him nonetheless as he watched Loki sip his coffee and hum with satisfaction. When the mug was finally empty, Loki set it on the night stand and raised his eyes to Tony's. 

"I came here because I have made myself an enemy that I cannot defeat without either time or allies. Time, as it seems, is no longer the most viable option. I came to you first because I find you to be the most... agreeable of your friends." 

"So you need my help. Our help? Do you want me to get the Avengers involved too? Because I can't seem to find a reason we should help you."

"In time, yes. For now I need only your assistance, and for it you will be greatly rewarded."

"I'm sure you're great at conjuring shiny coins and whatnot, but my bank accounts hardly need the extra padding. You're going to have to try harder than that." Tony stood and started to pace, purposely avoiding the trickster's eyes. Starved for magic or not, he didn't want the risk of falling to his manipulations. 

"Information, of course. There are many things I know that would interest you." Tony could swear Loki was trying to seduce him with his velvety voice. The possibilities danced through his head. Knowing first hand when Hammer Tech. was planning something big. Knowing when the next freak with an ego and a rip-off suit was going to attack. The very idea of having such an advantage was certainly enough to make one consider housing a criminal.

"Okay then," Tony challenged, spinning on a heel to face the man, "tell me something. Give me a taste of this information. If I like what I hear, I'll help you out for a bit." Loki's eyes caught his attention and he steeled himself to their effect. "Choose carefully, or I'll pack you up and march you down to Fury's office. I'm not helping you so I can find out what my enemies eat for breakfast."

At the mention of Fury, Loki chuckled and a grin spread across his still bruised face. "I don't imagine you'd truly want to take me to Director Fury," Loki purred. "I think you'll find yourself quite displeased with him."

"Why's that?" 

"Your dear friend Coulson still lives. It seems the director took advantage of the opportunity to motivate his straying puppets."

Tony hid his surprise well. "Can you prove that? Because you have a long history of lying and I'm not so big on the 'trust' stuff."

"I do not possess the resources to prove it at this moment, but you are a smart man. It will take you little time to find the proof on your own."

"Jarvis, get on that." Tony took the empty mug that Loki held out to him and set it on the night stand. He knew that what he was doing was completely wrong, but he’d never been one to play by the rules. Not to mention he had a pretty good idea of what would happen to Loki if he handed him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. No doubt torture for information would be involved, and Tony had been there. He wasn’t ever going to put somebody else there. "What first then, partner?"

Loki scowled at the word but made no comment on it. "First we must locate the other half of my staff. No doubt it is in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. by now. Then you will put it back together. Before anything, though, I must sleep again. This has exhausted me." He shifted carefully in the bed and brushed a few crumbs from the sheet, then sank down and covered himself until Tony could only see a mess of black hair on the pillow.

" _Sir,_ " Jarvis spoke, " _I have discovered three minor inconsistencies in the records of Agent Coulson's death._ "

Tony smiled. "All right Reindeer Games, I'll play with you." He turned and headed for the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This chapter was updated as of 8.18.13. If you read it before this update, consider reading again! A few things have changed to help out the flow of the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

The last thing Tony wanted to do was go to the fundraising event. He had planning trying for a bit more sleep the night before, but the wounded god in his bed made his workshop even more appealing than usual. The night had been spent examining the evidence of Coulson's 'death' and looking for any hints that S.H.I.E.L.D. possessed the staff. When he'd finally dug deep enough into their files to discover that they did indeed have it, he had leapt up to get dressed and pay Fury a visit. Unfortunately his cell phone rang that very moment and Pepper sternly reminded him that he was required to attend the fundraiser.

So there he was. Stepping out of his car and tossing the keys to a pimply valet boy, waving hello to all of the familiar and unfamiliar faces. He didn't want to admit to himself that his eyesight was blurred from lack of sleep and his attention was fleeting. He hoped he wasn't expected to make a speech. He sent a quick message to Pepper to assuage her fear of him not attending, said hello to a few important people, then headed to the bar. 

After much internal debating, Tony settled for a vodka and Redbull. Just the right combination of I-don't-want-to-be-here and I'm-not-allowed-to-fall-asleep to make the night bearable.

"Are you drinking? At your own fundraiser?"

Tony glanced over his shoulder to find that it was Natasha scolding him. He chuckled. "Do you know me?" She looked quite stunning in her sleek red dress, even as she gave him a glare that could make the average grown man cry. "Want me to get you one too?" He tipped the glass in her direction and continued to walk, trusting that she'd follow. Ah, there was an unoccupied and inconspicuous table. 

"None of us have seen you since you gave us the tablets," she continued to gripe. "Have you been locked up in your workshop? I bet Pepper would be happy to hear that." 

Tony couldn't help but think she was talking too fast. He took another sip of his drink. "I'm sure she would be shocked."

"You should at least make an effort to act like you're living with the rest of us. Have you been to the gym? Captain wants to do some group training." She brushed a bouncy curl out of her face and Tony watched it intently. "Are you okay?"

Tony's mind came back to him and he set his drink down and pulled out his phone. He didn't have his earpiece to speak with Jarvis, but when all else failed there was always text. _Jarvis, how am I doing on sleep?_ He waited for a few seconds. _Of the past one hundred and twenty hours, you have spent six and three quarters of an hour asleep._ He raised his eyebrows. That had to be a new record. "How much longer does this thing go for?"

"About five more hours, I would assume."

Tony only made it two. He'd given up on the redbull after his hands had started shaking when he lifted the glasses. Natasha brought him some water, but he'd waved over a waitress for a coffee a few minute later. Halfway through the coffee he was seeing stars and then he remembered hitting his head on something- probably the table- and Natasha slapping him gently and trying to coax him upright. She managed to get him on his feet and walk him out of a back entrance without too many people noticing. 

He was in and out for the ride home. He heard snatches of Natasha's rambling, "Clint will take care of it-", "-tell them you had a stomach bug-" "-do you ever sleep?" and then he was sleeping. 

\--

"Tony wake up," Natasha demanded. The slap to his face was much sharper than before. "Jarvis won't let me in. Tell him to open the door so I can put you in your damn bed and you can sleep."

"Right," Tony muttered. "Jarvis, open up. Daddy's home."

Natasha tried the door again and found it unlocked. She let herself in, half dragging Tony. 

She didn't mean to drop him. "Freeze!"

Loki sighed and put his hands up, but not so far as to agitate his wounds. "Hello, Miss Romanov." He glanced at Tony, who appeared unconscious on the floor. "I do think you should speak to Stark before you fire that gun of yours at me."

Upon hearing Loki's voice, something clicked in Tony's head. His eyes flew open and he struggled to his feet. "Don't shoot him," he commanded, taking a step toward the god. "Let me explain first." He turned his eyes to Loki and he had to squint to focus. "I could really use some water. There's a bottle in the mini fridge over there." He tried not to slur his words too much.

Loki's eyes were murderous but he obeyed Tony's request anyway, most likely to appeal to Natasha. "What's this about?" She spoke, turning her gun to Tony.

"Whoa, put that away. He's as harmless as a butterfly." Loki pitched the bottle of water across the room with inhuman speed and nearly beamed Tony in the head with it. "Okay, wasp." He retrieved the bottle from the floor and gulped a good portion down. Natasha turned her gun back to Loki. "He was half dead two nights ago. He's hiding here to recover and paying rent with information. I've already learned some pretty interesting things."

"How long have you been under his control?" Her voice was like poison and she studied Tony closely for signs of Loki's mind-control. One of her hands casually moved toward her phone, clipped to her leg right next to her gun holster. 

Tony sighed. "Jarvis, cut communications from Natasha's phone. Listen," he took another swig of water and leaned heavily on the counter. His head swam and he was tired and drunk. Before he could come up with a witty assurance to put Natasha's worries to rest, all hell broke loose. 

Loki must have moved in a way that made Natasha feel threatened, because she dropped to one knee and shot at him twice. Tony prayed that the custom silencer he'd built into her gun would be enough to keep the others from hearing. "Jarvis, suit!" He reached out one hand and waited for the suit to come, but it wasn't necessary. Too fast for Tony to follow, Loki moved from one side of the room to the other, reappearing in front of Natasha. One of his hands aimed her gun to the floor and the other covered her face. That hand flashed green, then Natasha dropped to the floor.

"Fuck Loki, what did you do to her?" The suit's arm flew through the room and fit itself onto Tony's. He prepared himself to fight. 

"No need for your pretty metal outfit," Loki assured. He stood and lifted the widow by her forearm. "She's only sleeping. I will be back in a moment."

Loki vanished and Tony groaned. He was somewhere between too tired, too drunk, and crashing too hard from all of the caffeine to feel properly alarmed. He sent his suit back to the workshop and reinstated communications from Natasha's phone, then Loki reappeared empty handed.

"She is in her bed now," he spoke, inspecting the bullet hole in Tony's minibar. "She will wake in the morning with no recollection of meeting me. Her memories will tell her that she left you at the door and headed straight to sleep."

"You could have let me try to talk her down. You don't always have to be so eager to jump into our minds like that." His pointed glare was enough to tell Loki that he wasn't just talking about Natasha. 

"If I had waited any longer, I would not have had enough magic to do it properly." Loki watched as Tony rubbed his face and sank down against a wall. "Are you ill?"

"Maybe." He felt like a sack of bricks.

" _Mr. Stark’s body is shutting down due to lack of sleep,_ " Jarvis intoned. " _It is advisable for humans to sleep every sixteen hours for a span of eight hours, on average. He currently averages one hour of sleep for every twenty spent awake._ "

Tony had already started drifting off again, the last of his energy spent through that adrenaline rush. He felt and arm slip around his back and thought for a second that Loki was helping him into bed. He quickly dismissed the idea. Still, moments later he felt the soft mattress beneath him and the feeling of somebody pulling off his shoes. The other side of the bed creaked for a moment, then a peaceful silence settled over the room.

"Why do you not sleep, Stark?" Loki's voice came from beside him. Tony thought about a response, but it was lost as his brain shut down.

\--

"Stark! Damn it Stark!"

Tony kicked hard at the creature attacking him, trying to roll away. It felt like his was tangled in something; he couldn't get his legs free. Thrashing about, he reached out to blast the creature with one of his repulsors, but his hands were slammed back to the ground. Something stung his cheek.

"Wake up you fool!" 

Tony's woke to a pair of fierce green eyes staring down at him. Loki was straddling him, pressing his wrists firmly to the mattress. The blanket was twisted several times around, cocooning his legs and restricting his movement. His heart was pounding and sweat dripped down his forehead. "What?"

"You were thrashing about and trying to kill me in your sleep. Are these night terrors?" 

Suddenly Tony was ashamed. He had been embarrassed enough when Pepper had discovered the reason he avoided sleep at all costs, but this was the enemy. This was a man that fed off the pain and humiliation of others like flies on shit. He waited for Loki's thin lips to spread into a grin and then part to mock him.

Instead, he released Tony's wrists and rolled off of him. "So this is why you do not sleep." Tony sat up watched the god slip off the bed and move to the dresser, where the remaining bandages were. The moon was full and it shined brightly through the window, illuminating Loki's pale skin until it was like he was glowing. Carefully, he unwrapped each bandage that covered his body. His once broken wrist moved freely now, no longer hindered by its injury, and the deep cuts on his arms were only thin scrapes. He rolled each of the used bandages methodically and set them aside, then started to remove the one on his chest. Tony watched him wordlessly, his tired mind fascinated by each of the careful movements, and before long he had stopped shaking and his breath had evened out.

Without replacing any of the bandages, Loki returned to the bed. Tony was about to ask why, but then he knew. "It's healed," he marveled. The long gash down Loki's chest was nothing more than an angry red scrape now. The bruising still remained, but only on his chest and arms. His face appeared completely normal.

"On the outside. I am still…” he hesitated, as if testing the word before he spoke it. “Weak.” He slipped back into the bed and Tony leaned back into his pillow. The clock on his bedside table said it was only three in the morning, which meant he'd gotten a little less than five hours of sleep. That was enough, right?

"I think I'm going to go check on my projects," he mumbled, wondering why he was explaining himself to a criminal. 

"You will not."

Tony turned his head to argue, but found himself caught off guard. Loki was lying on his side, head propped up by an elbow and eyes fixed on Tony. His hair wasn't slicked back like usual; it fell freely and curled just slightly at the ends. Something about it made Tony want to touch it, to find out if it was as soft as it looked. Then Loki was reaching out a hand and setting his long, cool fingers on the side of Tony's face. "You're doing it again," he accused, too tired to be angry that the god was manipulating his feelings.

Loki sighed through a smile. "Sleep, Stark," he commanded. Tony's eyes shut before he saw the glow of magic. "And do not dream of terrors."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A few semi important announcements. Please read!**
> 
> -The previous six chapters have all been updated as of today, 8.18.13. Chapter four in particular has essentially been rewritten. While it won't be the end of the world if you don't, I highly suggest giving them a reread before you continue! (It has been two months after all!)
> 
> -I will resume a normal updating schedule (roughly one chapter a week) as of this chapter. I apologize for the break but I had to fix some things to allow the story to progress!
> 
> -If you are an artist of any kind, check out my frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D [[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.

When Tony woke, the bed beside him was empty. His rubbed his eyes and stole a glance at the clock. For some reason, the time was wrong. “Jarvis, what time is it?”

“ _Twelve seventeen p.m. sir._ ”

Okay, so maybe the clock wasn’t wrong. How on earth had he slept for so long? “Where is Loki?”

“ _He teleported from the living room couch four hours and three minutes ago. I do not know his destination._ ”

“Thanks,” Tony mumbled. He stepped out of his bed and stretched, surprised at how amazing he felt. It was impossible for him to remember the last time he’d slept so well. The closest he got to real sleep anymore was when he passed out after drinking too much.

After a long and much needed shower, Tony headed upstairs to the common area to reacquaint himself with the Avengers and make sure Natasha hadn’t regained her memory and classified him as an enemy. 

Thor greeted him casually, which was certainly a good sign, and invited him to join him for lunch. “Your scientist made breakfast for lunch; eggs and bacon and waffles. He is nearly as good of a cook as my brother.” Thor emphasized the point by sticking an entire piece of bacon in his mouth and smiling widely. 

“Save some for me,” he joked, filling his plate from the platter. There was no need to worry about there being enough food for both of them. “Where are the others?”

“Bruce went to gather them for lunch. He suggested I start early, as I have much work to do today. Your Director Fury requests my assistance in identifying an object they’ve discovered.”

Tony’s attention perked. He poured himself some coffee. “Sounds like fun. Mind if I join? I’m free all day.” The object was surely the missing half of Loki’s staff. 

“Absolutely! Perhaps you might show me around this city as well? I have not gotten to explore it much, and I do like to know my surroundings better.”

“Deal, Goldilocks. Eat up.” Tony slapped Thor on the shoulder and dug into his own food. When Natasha, Banner, Clint and Steve arrived they were nearly done with their meals. 

“It lives,” Natasha noted flatly as she took her seat. “I figured your hangover would have been enough to kill you. Really, Tony, you shouldn’t drink at your own events. It’s a bad image.”

Tony rolled his eyes and swallowed his mouthful of waffle. “Until you become my PR manager, no griping. I’m here, I’m alive, and I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of anyone but you. I think last night went pretty well.” His attitude was nonchalant, but he studied her expression carefully. It didn’t seem like she recalled anything that she shouldn’t have. Loki’s magic was good. It scared him.

“Well, we’re off to see the wizard,” Tony finally announced when his coffee was empty and his belly was full.

“I was not aware Director Fury had any magical capabilities.” Thor looked questioningly at Tony, his eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “Is it not so that Midgardians do not possess-”

“It’s just an expression,” Tony interrupted, raising his hands in surrender. “I’ll explain it to you later.” 

Steve piped up. “Wizard of Oz!” He looked proud of himself, despite the looks he received from the rest of the team.

“A plus for the old man,” Tony congratulated, albeit somewhat sarcastically. Steve didn’t look at all offended. “All right really; we’ve got to get going. See you all later.”

Thor nodded and bid them farewell, then followed Tony outdoors. They climbed into his Audi, which Tony pridefully introduced to the god, and set off for the S.H.I.E.L.D. base well above the legal speed limit. 

When they arrived, Fury didn’t look very excited to see Tony walking alongside Thor. He tried to hide his disapproval, though, and escorted them into a well guarded and secluded room. Placed in a holder on the table was the bottom half of Loki’s staff.

“Thor, are you able to confirm that this is part of the staff that your brother possessed?”

The Asgardian inspected it carefully, running his fingers over the smooth metal. “Yes, I have no doubt that this is my brothers. It is only half, though, and I fear terribly for his fate if he allowed this to happen to such a prized possession of his.”

“Thank you. That begs another question.” Fury’s eye swung over to Tony, who was pretending to be occupied with his phone. “Stark,” he growled. Tony sighed.

“Yeah yeah. I was supposed to be guarding the pretty little stick. Unfortunately my security measures don’t block magic yet. Emphasis on yet. He must have teleported in and swiped it.”

“And why was I not notified immediately?” Fury’s anger was visible in the vein on his temple. 

Thor spoke first. “Tony was ill. He is well now, but it was important that he rested.”

Fury was good at being angry with Tony, but it was hard to be mad at Thor. He was probably one of the most agreeable men alive, when you were on his good side. “Fine,” Fury grumbled. “We need to locate the other half.”

This is where Tony came in. “Actually,” he smiled, “I can do that. I was able to copy the device’s signature when I scanned it. If I scan this piece I will be able to isolate the missing piece’s signature and use Jarvis’ radar technology to locate the general coordinates of the other half.” It was total bullshit, but it was worth a shot.

“You want me to give you the remaining half so Loki can stop by and pick it up at his convenience?” Fury scoffed.

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Banner and I are working on a nifty little device that should block his ability to teleport in and out of the building. Besides, if he let his pretty little wand get busted up, he’s probably floating around half dead somewhere.” He regretted the last part of his comment immediately when he saw Thor’s heartbroken expression. But it worked.

“Fine. But Tony, I swear if you lose this I will-”

“Thanks buddy!” He really wasn’t interested in hearing Fury’s threats. Half-staff in hand, he headed to the door. “Coming, Fabio?” Thor nodded and trailed after him. 

They stopped at the tower to drop off the staff, which Tony locked away securely despite the non-threat of Loki stealing it. The trickster was still out running errands-or whatever he was doing. Soon Tony was back in the car and taking Thor to his favorite dinner buffet. Food seemed like the best way to cheer the man up when he was down.

He waited until they were both sitting before plates piled high to speak. “What I said earlier, about your brother, it’s not true.” Thor’s eyes lit up again, but he still looked terribly worried. “Just because he doesn’t have the whole staff doesn’t mean he’s done in. If it were that easy, he wouldn’t be such a pain in the ass threat.”

“Perhaps you speak the truth,” Thor sighed, sampling one of the many items on his plate. “I worry for him though. To you he is but a nuisance; a criminal to rid from the world. But to me, he is my brother. He is my friend and my childhood and my family, however dark his path may have become.”

Tony hated seeing the god so upset. He wanted to tell him that Loki was just fine, but he couldn’t let the others know just yet. “Tell me a bit about him, then. You say he’s not so bad, but we only get to see one side of him. What else is there?”

Thor thought for a minute and smiled, obviously recalling fond memories. “As I mentioned earlier, he is a wonderful cook. He was often forced into the task when we went on hunts and other trips, and it was always a great reward to taste his food at the end of the day.” Tony noticed Thor’s appetite begin to return as he spoke. “He is very gifted with magic. I was always too harsh on him for choosing to study instead of fight, but my dear friend Lady Sif did much to teach me that gender should not matter if one’s heart is truly into the craft. She is an excellent warrior.”

Thor continued to relay stories as they ate, telling Tony of Loki’s love of mischief and simple pranks. “They were not always so mean and hurtful,” he explained. “Often they were harmless, silly things. He once gave our mother a basket of flowers, when we were very young, but filled the bottom with worms and toads. It startled her terribly but we all laughed in the end. I do miss when his tricks were harmless.”

After their early dinner they explored much of the city. Thor was happy to see that it was recovering well from Loki’s destruction, and before long his mood was much improved. It amazed Tony to see how loyal Thor was to his brother, despite all of the trouble he’d been put through. He decided that he’d have to hang out with the thunder god more often.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said a week but I couldn't wait any longer. You guys have been so awesome that I just have to give you another chapter now x.x
> 
> I should mention that this story is not beta'd. I quadruple check each chapter before I post it, but if you see any mistakes please let me know. Also, feel free to point me in the direction of any bored beta-readers. 
> 
> And Don't forget! **If you are an artist of any kind, check out the frostiron art contest! You could win cash and stuff! :D[[link]](http://fav.me/d6ce5i4) Open to members of tumblr and deviantart. Ends 9.7.13.**

After a rather entertaining evening with the others that involved pizza, wings, and introducing Thor and Steve to Mortal Kombat, Tony finally returned to his room. Jarvis informed him that Loki had come back roughly thirty minutes after he dropped off the staff and had been sleeping ever since. 

Tony entered the room quietly and moved around the bed to set a plate full of food on the nightstand. Loki was sprawled out on top of the covers, fast asleep. He no longer wore Tony’s sweatpants and shirt, but seemed to have found a pair of his own pants. They fit his long legs much better. His shirt was absent and Tony couldn’t help but peer suspiciously at the shallow scrapes that had been life threatening just days ago. He held his fingers just above Loki’s chest, measuring the length of the wound and studying the angle of it. From the way it was healing, he could tell it had been deeper toward the bottom. He knew exactly what weapon would make a wound like that. “Someone stabbed you with your own staff,” he mused aloud.

Loki’s eyes opened and found Tony’s. “Yes.” Tony stumbled away from the god and watched him sit up in bed and stretch carefully. For someone who appeared so thin and scrawny, he was still decently muscular and well toned. His hair was messy again, brushing his shoulders and escaping its normal uniformity. He relaxed and turned his eyes on Tony. “You seem distracted.”

Tony blinked twice, bringing his thoughts back from wherever they had roamed. “I brought you food. I don’t know if you eat pizza, but it didn’t kill Thor so I guess it’s not too bad. There are some wings too…”

Loki seemed amused. “I will try your strange triangular food. Water would be nice, though.” With little complaint, Tony left the room to find a bottle of water. When he returned, Loki was wearing a soft green shirt that still managed to look like it was medieval. “Eindrok stabbed me, as you might have guessed. We got into a… _disagreement_.” The thought of said disagreement alone seemed to put Loki in a foul mood. 

“I got the other half of your staff back today. Fury’s getting soft; it was way too easy.” Tony crossed the room and leaned his back against the wall, folding his arms in front of him. “I might need some pointers for sticking it back together though. The little testing I did on it before you took it back says it’s not made of your typical metal.”

Loki stood and took his plate in one hand and water in the other. “Let us go to your workshop, then, and I shall tell you what I know as you work.”

Down in the workshop, Loki settled on the small couch and ate his pizza and wings without complaint as Tony cleared off his largest table and set the two halves of the staff on it. He started his work by cleaning each thoroughly, somewhat disgusted by the idea that the sharp and intricately curved metal tip had been buried in Loki’s chest. Then he fit them together and studied the gaps, running it under a scanner to find out just how much was missing. All in all it was about the same amount of metal that made up a silver dollar, but it was still metal that Tony didn’t have. He collected samples of several other metals from around his shop and started to work. 

“Eindrok,” Loki began after he finished the last of his food, “is an Asgardian.”

“Great. More of you.” Tony’s hands flew over the keyboard and the computer returned a red ‘X’. Steel was not compatible with the design. Moving on.

“He is a sorcerer, as I am, and though his overall power does not match mine, he is highly specialized in a few areas.”

“Is ass-kicking one of them?” Tony arched an eyebrow and looked at Loki, trying not to snort at the unamused scowl on the god’s face. 

“You are a true comedian,” Loki replied dryly. “I will not tell you his true goal just yet, but I will tell you that it involves massive destruction on Midgard. He aims for high casualties.”

Tony frowned, discarding three other types of metal that would not work. “Do you think he stands a chance?” It was almost a stupid question, but he had to ask. Still, if he’d sent Loki crawling to the Avengers like a wounded dog, he was obviously a threat.

“I think he will be more successful than I was. However, his plan requires more time.”

“What is it?” It was frustrating, listen to Loki beat around the bush and only give half information. “What is his wonderful little plan to destroy the world?”

“If I told you that, what motivation would you have to finish the staff? I will tell you no more of his goals until it is whole again.” Loki leaned back on the couch and shut his eyes, taking a slow drink of his water. Even with all of the rest he’d gotten, Tony could tell he still wasn’t at one hundred percent. 

“Will you tell me why he beat the shit out of you?”

“Later, perhaps.”

“Anything else?” Tony discarded the last of the metals and stared at the staff, wondering how on earth he was going to put it back together.

“The staff was not always made of that metal. It began as steel and was forged with tools of great strength and magic. Those tools changed the metal to what it is now.”

Tony sighed with frustration. “Got any tools of magic?”

“I do not.”

Tony sighed and left the workshop. He found the bottle of scotch in his minibar and grabbed a glass, then another after a moment’s thought. He was about see if his mini fridge came with an ice maker when his phone rang.

“Pepper? How is your vaca? Meet some handsome guys? Sign some autographs?”

“Tony, I’m staying with my parents. To relax. Are you feeling better? I heard you left the fundraiser because you were sick.”

“Right. I’m just peachy.” Tony saw Loki enter the room out of the corner of his eye. 

“I’ll be back at work on Monday. That means you only have two more days to play.”

Loki settled onto a bar stool and pulled the empty glasses nearer, then poured scotch into one and sniffed it carefully. Deciding it wasn’t too foul smelling, he sipped at it. 

“Tony?”

Tony remembered that Pepper was on the line. “Hey, yeah. Actually I might stay here for a few more days. Got some work to do. Science projects with Banner, culturing Thor and Steve; I hear Natasha wants to get me in the gym and kick my ass too.”

Loki wrinkled his nose at the drink, then set it on the counter and held his hand over the glass for a moment. The liquid rippled, then settled, and he lifted it to take another sip. This time he didn’t wrinkle his nose.

“Okay,” Pepper finally said. “If you’re getting along with them then you should stay for a bit longer. Just don’t forget about the conference on Tuesday.”

“Got it Pep. I’ll see you there?”

“On time, I hope.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Tony hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. “Girlfriend?” Loki purred, sipping at his drink again. 

“Not anymore. Too crazy for her, I guess. What did you do to the drink?” Tony poured himself one and eyed it suspiciously, then sipped it and found nothing wrong with it. He did wish he had some ice to pour it over; he preferred it that way. 

Loki stood and stepped around the bar stool. He held his hand over Tony’s drink for a moment and it rippled just as his had, then settled. The glass felt much colder in Tony’s hand and when he sipped it, he found the drink to be chilled to perfection without losing its taste. 

“That’s a handy little trick.”

“I prefer my drinks cold, though ice dilutes them. As it is it would take nearly the entire bottle to intoxicate me; diluting it only makes the process take longer.” He turned back toward the workshop, drink in hand, and Tony grabbed the bottle and followed.

“Planning on getting hammered or something? You don’t strike me as the type.” He shut the door behind them and set the bottle on the table. 

Loki settled back into the couch. “The idea is appealing. I understand that most drink when they are upset. I have been deemed a criminal by my realm, defeated by a man that I despise, stripped of nearly all my magic, and forced to rely on a mortal man to regain it. I do think it is an appropriate time to drink.”

Tony settled back in his chair and wondered if he pitied the god. Maybe pity was too strong of a word. Sympathy was more fitting. “Well in that case,” he finally said, toasting the air before him. “Drink up.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for you! Thank you guys so much for all the kudos. I'd love to hear what you think though! Feel free to drop me a comment! <3

Tony woke up face down on his desk, a small puddle of drool collecting at the edge of his mouth. When he sat up his head throbbed so hard he thought Thor had hit him with his hammer. And then as suddenly as that, the solution to the staff’s reconstruction came to him.

“Mjolnir!” He exclaimed aloud, regretting it when his head throbbed again. He saw Loki fast asleep on the couch that was far too short for his long legs. “Coffee,” he amended. Fixing the staff could wait until later.

He went to his mini bar and made two cups of coffee. He’d bought a coffee maker after Natasha asked him why he didn’t get a bigger mug so he didn’t have to bring two cups back to his room every morning. The convenience was nice, though, since it allowed him to consume a decent amount of caffeine before interacting with other people. He went back to the lab and threw a blanket over Loki, then left the cup on the table next to their empty scotch glasses. Then he hit the shower.

As he showered, he remembered their conversation last night. It had taken, as Loki predicted, nearly the entire bottle to get him intoxicated. Sometime late in the night Tony had stumbled into the elevator and gone to the common room kitchen to swipe another bottle, which they had nearly finished as well. “Your tolerance for alcohol is godly,” Tony had complimented quite far into the night, when he was starting to have trouble coordinating the bottle with the glass.

“Yours is impressive as well,” Loki had responded. Tony was torn between being flattered that a god had complimented him or annoyed that he found it flattering. Their conversation had gone on to serious after that, with Loki finally telling him a bit about why he didn’t get along with Thor. Then he had asked, “Why was I unable to take control of your mind back then? Is it the blue light that glows through your shirts?”

Tony remembering being surprised that Loki hadn’t taken advantage of the few times he’d been asleep to get a better look at the reactor. Whether it was out of gratitude for Loki’s respect of his privacy or just the alcohol making him talk, he ended up relating the entire account of how he had come to have the reactor in his chest. 

Several drinks later, when Tony was almost unable to keep his eyes open, Loki repaid him for his tale by telling him his own story. Half asleep, Tony had listened as Loki spoke of growing up alongside his brother, competing for the throne, and slowly going from his brother’s equal to his shadow. He told of how his friends had started to mistrust him, how he often found himself being made fun of, and how he had tried not to let it make him bitter. Two drinks after that, when Tony’s head was resting on the table, eyes closed but still listening, Loki told him his discovery of his true heritage; being taken from Jotunheim as a baby and disguised as the son of Odin. How betrayed he’d felt and how badly he wanted not to be a monster. 

Tony would have fallen asleep, but the catch in Loki’s voice when he said the word ‘monster’ grabbed his attention, and he had pulled his head off the table and looked the god square in the eye.

“You’re not a monster,” Tony insisted, trying his hardest not to slur his words. “Sometimes you’re just,” he put his head down again and closed his eyes, “badly behaved.”

Tony assumed that’s when he’d finally fallen asleep because he didn’t remember anything past that. Still, the entire conversation had changed his perspective of Loki quite a bit. So much so that when he finally came out of the shower and saw Loki sitting on his couch, legs tucked up and sipping his coffee, he didn’t have a snarky comment about his obvious hangover or messy hair. Instead he just refilled his own coffee and sat on the couch next to him.

The silence that ensued quickly became awkward, so Tony stretched his legs out onto the coffee table and sighed loudly. “I figured out how to fix your disco stick.”

Loki looked up from his drink, glad for the conversation. “Oh?”

“You said tools with magic, right? So I can bind it together with steel. I just need Thor’s hammer to do the forging.”

Loki scoffed. “You cannot lift Mjolnir.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to put some nice clothes on, because he’s coming down here to help me out.”

“I have no wish to speak with him.” Loki’s expression turned sour. “I will stay in your bedroom.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Of all the Avengers, beside myself, Thor is the most likely to be okay with you being here. When the others find out, I’d rather have Thor on our side than just me. You saw how well that went with Natasha.”

Loki scowled and set his empty coffee cup on the table. “I suppose you speak truth.”

They sat in silence for a moment more, then Loki uncurled himself, reached over, and took Tony’s coffee right out of his hands. “Hey!” He took a sip and hummed happily, then sat back again. “That was mine,” Tony complained. 

“And now it is mine.” The mischief was back in his eyes and Tony hoped that was a sign that his recovery was going well.

“Fine, but my mouth was all over that. I probably have cooties.” As if an Asgardian knew what ‘cooties’ were.

Loki locked eyes with Tony and lifted the mug to his lips, then slowly trailed his tongue along the entire outer rim, finally catching a drop of coffee and licking it up. Then he ran his tongue over his lips and grinned when Tony shivered.

“I’m leaving now,” Tony blurted, standing clumsily and heading to the door. “I’ll be back with your brother in a bit, so you might want to do something about your hair.” He could have sworn he heard Loki laughing as the door closed behind him. 

Before he went to the common room, Tony took a minute to catch his breath in the elevator. He tried to clear the sight of Loki teasing him from his mind, but instead he remembered the time that same tongue had trailed up his neck while Loki had him pinned up against a wall. That thought went straight to his pants and he groaned in discomfort. “I need to get laid,” he muttered to the elevator door. Since he and Pepper had broken up, he hadn’t slept around nearly as much as he used to. Part of it was out of respect for her, but part of it was the fear of a stranger seeing him suffer from night terrors. 

He was devising a plan to find himself a women and avoid the sleep-over portion of a one night stand when the elevator opened and Steve nearly walked into him. “You okay there? You look a little red in the face.”

“Wicked hangover,” Tony excused. It wasn’t a lie either.

“Perhaps a tuna melt would help? I was just going to get Natasha and Clint from the gym. Bruce made lunch.”

“Tuna melt sounds great, but I don’t know why you guys go running all over the place to get each other. Jarvis, please inform Natasha and Clint that lunch is ready.”

“ _Yes sir._ ”

“And Thor,” Steve added.

“And Thor,” Tony repeated.

Before long they were all sitting around the table enjoying tuna melts and salad. Tony thought he could get used to eating this well and was suddenly glad he told Pepper he’d be staying a bit longer. 

After lunch, Banner roped him into helping with the dishes so they could talk. “I’ve been working on your magic blocking project, but I think I’m stuck without you,” he admitted. 

He hadn’t expected him to get far with it, since he hadn’t come up with any brilliant ideas either. He hardly wanted to ask Loki about it. “I’m just as stuck as you are.” Maybe it was for the better, Tony thought after a moment. If Bruce figured out how to recognize Loki’s energy signature on his own, he might realize that the god was sleeping right above him every night. He made a mental note to monitor Bruce’s progress more carefully. 

“You still have the staff, right? He hasn’t stolen it again?”

“Nice and safe,” Tony assured. “Which reminds me, I have to talk to Thor. Thanks for lunch!” Tony finished toweling off the plate in his hands and stuck it in the cupboard, then caught Thor just as he was about to leave.

“Hey buddy, got a minute?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Fun Fact: Robert Downey Jr's "hangover cure" is tuna melts, according to his website. Hence the use of them in this story.


	10. Chapter 10

“All right. I need your help with something,” Tony said when they were in the elevator.

“Certainly. What is it?” Thor was, as always, eager to assist. 

“Before I can tell you, you have to agree to something. You cannot, under any circumstances, tell the others.”

Thor frowned. “I do not wish to keep things from our team. It is unhealthy.”

The elevator opened and they stepped out onto Tony’s floor. He walked to his door and put a hand on the knob, then turned back to Thor. “Even if it means your brother’s safety?”

The man looked conflicted. “My brothers safety is worth the price of keeping a secret,” he finally said. Then his expression turned darker. “Do you mean a threat to him by this?”

“Not at all.” The door swung open and they stepped inside, but Loki wasn’t in the room. “Come to my workshop.” Tony led him around the corner, down the hall, and into the messy shop. And there was Loki, sitting in full armor on the couch.

Thor gasped. “Brother!”

“I said fix your hair, not suit up for battle,” Tony complained. His hair, at least, had been tamed and combed back as it usually was. 

“Thor,” Loki greeted, stiffly inclining his head. 

“I worried ceaselessly about you. I feared that you had been harmed beyond repair when I saw only half of your staff in Fury’s possession.”

“I am not so easy to defeat,” Loki grumbled. He didn’t seem eager to admit that it had almost been the case. 

“Is this what I am to keep from the others? That my brother is safe?”

“More or less. They can’t know he’s here. Nobody can, aside from you and me.”

“I will guard this secret well. Thank you for protecting Loki.” Thor’s tone was utterly sincere, but Loki rolled his eyes at the idea of being protected by a mortal. Tony shot him a quick glare, then turned to the staff.

“As you can see, we’ve got the whole staff now. Unfortunately it’s rather stubborn and doesn’t want to go back together. You wouldn’t happen to have any experience forging things, would you?”

“Actually,” Thor spoke with pride in his voice. “I watched as this very staff was forged many, many years ago.”

“Fantastic. Lets get to work.”

\--

It turned out to be incredibly tedious work, and by the time Thor announced that it was good enough, Tony was tired, starved, and sore. 

“You must let it set now, for four days.” Thor turned to his brother. “If you send any magic through it before that time, it will shatter.”

“Four days?” Tony complained, but Loki only nodded.

“Your help is appreciated.”

“You are welcome, brother. If you need aid in any other way, let me know.”

“Actually,” Tony spoke up, “when it comes time to tell the others that he’s been hanging around, it would be great if you could help me convince them that he hasn’t brainwashed me.”

“I will stand by you. When do you plan to inform them?”

Tony looked to Loki and then back to Thor. “Don’t know yet. At least not until his magic is all fixed up. We’ll be in a lot of trouble if Fury snatches him up and throws him in prison.”

Thor’s attention turned to Loki again. “Tell me, brother, is there a threat? I do not imagine you would seek aid from Tony Stark if you were not in trouble.”

“I have more preparations to make before I can tell all, but know that Midgard and Asgard alike are threatened. Be on your guard and do not speak of this to father or everything will be ruined.”

Thor looked terribly troubled, but he nodded still. “I will wait for you, then.” 

\--

Tony spent the rest of the day, as well as a good portion of the night, in Banner’s lab. It was frustrating, knowing that all of their questions could be answered by a man sitting on the couch one floor up, but Tony couldn’t risk Banner finding out about Loki. Instead they were left wondering how the god teleported and to what degree the pressure in the room changed when he did. All the while Tony kept a careful watch on Bruce’s progress, even going so far as to lead him astray when Jarvis offered a way to track Loki’s magic. 

They would have continued their project the next day, but Banner had a meeting with a world renowned scientist on the other side of the country and wouldn’t be back until Monday. As it turned out, everyone in the tower had something or other to do that Sunday, which left Tony with little to do aside from tinker in his workshop. Unfortunately he’d been tinkering since he came back from Banner’s room, all through the night, and had finally run out of patience for his stubborn suit and its calibration issues.

In a last ditch effort to entertain himself, he turned to Loki. “It’s not useable yet, but your staff is in once piece. So how about that info?” 

Almost surprisingly, Loki nodded and reclined on the couch that had essentially become his. “It is a long story and you have had little sleep. Perhaps you would make us some coffee before I begin?”

“Sooner or later we’re going to have to have an intervention about your coffee addiction,” Tony teased as he stood to comply. “As much as you drink, I’m surprised you don’t have constant jitters.” Still, he found it cute that Loki had made the effort to disguise his request as concern for Tony’s wakefulness. He frowned. Not cute. Cute was a word for women and small animals, not manipulative villains. 

When he returned to the workshop with their drinks, Loki gestured to the empty spot on the couch beside him. Tony was hesitant, but he wanted to know what Loki had to say, so he made a mental note to keep his guard up and took the seat. 

“Roughly six months after I was locked away in Asgard,” Loki began as soon as Tony made himself comfortable, “a sorcerer visited me in my cell. He offered me freedom in exchange for my aid, but did not tell me in what I would be aiding him. As it was my best, and most likely only, chance to escape my father’s prison, I agreed. Soon after that he did free me, and we traveled from world to world to set false leads and traps, should my escape be discovered.”

“Thor told me about those,” Tony interrupted. “He said he was the only one that thought you would come here.”

“Despite my distaste for him, I would be a fool to claim he does not know me well.” He took a long sip of his coffee, licked his lips, then continued. “The sorcerer was Eindrok, as you might have surmised. During my time with him I learned much about him. Most importantly, he has been studying magic for longer than I have been alive. He once strove to become Odin’s most prized sorcerer, a position that he tried for and failed. His failure made him bitter, and the events that followed did well to fuel that feeling. He believes he was falsely accused of some act, but whether the fault was his own or another’s matters little. In the end, he was imprisoned for many years.”

“So what you’re saying is the guy is Odin’s biggest fan.” Loki stared at Tony for a minute, almost appearing confused. “Sarcasm. Continue?”

“Yes. It seems that during his imprisonment, he learned much of my antics through gossip. He was impressed and thought to seek me out when he was freed. However, by the time he was freed I had already fallen from the bifrost and was believed to be dead.”

Tony imagined that Loki would make a wonderful story teller. His voice rose and fell as he spoke, accenting this and that and bringing the story to life. For a moment Tony had nearly forgotten that this was important information and instead imagined that he was only relaxing on the couch with Loki and listening to a fascinating tale. That sounded far too much like a date for his taste, though, so he tried to pay better attention and not let his mind wander.

“Part of our agreement, as I found out shortly after I was freed, was that I would teach him some of my spells. We came to Midgard and I began teaching him. Over time, he told me his plan.”

Loki paused and stretched his legs yet again, then turned to face Tony on the couch. He moved about, trying to find a comfortable position, then finally lifted his legs off the floor and stretched them across Tony’s lap. He sighed, contented. Tony, however, was not thrilled. “Can I help you?” His question dripped with sarcasm. 

“Yes, actually, you’re doing a fine job. This couch of yours is too near to the ground and makes my legs quite uncomfortable. They do feel better now.”

Tony resisted the urge to rolled his eyes and instead glared at Loki’s shins. “Just get on to Eindrok’s master plan, would you?”

“It is his intention to wreak havoc on this realm on a scale far larger than what I accomplished to attract the attention of Odin. The hope is that Odin will deem it necessary to send warriors to end his destruction. However, it is only a distraction. His true goal is to empty Asgard of its strongest warriors and guardians. He has many accomplices woven throughout our realm that will then take the opportunity to seize the throne.”

“Why would he ask the son of the man he means to kill to help him?” Tony hoped Loki would ignore the technicality of him not actually being Odin’s son.

“In the eyes of the people, I attempted to murder my father and brother. No doubt he thought I would relish the chance to try again. He promised me the throne; all he desires in exchange is a place as my high sorcerer and continued lessons in magic.”

“But you turned him down.” The state Loki had been in when he zapped himself into Tony’s living room made that obvious enough.

“I did.”

When he didn’t elaborate Tony prompted, “Why?”

“There are two reasons. The first is that I do not desire the throne. I understand why some might think that, but truly I only wanted to be seen as my brother’s equal.” 

Though Loki’s expression didn’t betray it, Tony knew it was probably hard for him to admit something that sentimental. Absentmindedly he traced the seam of Loki’s pants with a finger. “What’s the other reason?”

Loki remained silent for several moments. Tony felt him grow tense with anger and knew that it wouldn’t be smart to rush him. The room seemed to drop a few degrees and Tony drank the rest of his coffee to warm himself. Finally, Loki spoke, though his voice was flat and measured. “Despite our lack of blood relation, I have always thought Frigga to be… a mother. She is dear to me.” He closed his eyes. “Eindrok threatened many things unto her with a smile on his face. He went so far as to suggest he would father a new brother for me, with her, to replace the one he would kill.” 

Loki’s eyes opened again and Tony almost wished they hadn’t. He had never seen such a cold look of hatred and disgust in a person. He suppressed a shiver and continued to trace patterns on Loki’s shin, as it seemed to calm him.

“I ran him through with my staff, but he pulled it out of his gut and snapped it in two. I should mention that I was, at that point, still recovering from the magic suppressing spells placed on me in prison. I fought him for several hours, until both of us were half dead with exhaustion, but eventually he gained the upper hand and put my own staff through my chest. He then took to beating me and cursing me and calling me a fool; a traitor. Right before he tried to finally end my life, he mocked me for letting myself be defeated by ‘a pack of superhuman freaks and a man in a tin suit’. I thought of you, and then I was on your living room floor.”

“How romantic,” Tony teased in an attempt to lighten the mood and possibly increase the temperature of the room. It seemed to get awfully chilly when Loki was in a bad mood. “So why did you tell Thor not tell Odin? Seems to me a man might like to know when someone’s plotting his assassination.”

“I have reason to believe that some of the men that work for Eindrok are very near to the throne. To tell Odin so soon would be a poor choice.”

“Do you have any sort of a plan at all?”

“I do. Nothing can be done until my magic is restored, though. It is only at my strongest that I will be able to defeat Eindrok, and I may still need your assistance. My skill and knowledge of magic is spread out evenly over a vast amount of subjects. His, however, is strongly concentrated in one subject. Combined with the few spells I taught him, he is a formidable foe.”

“What is it that he’s so great at?” It was always handy to know what weapons your enemy had in their arsenal. 

“I have spoken enough of him for today. Or do you not tire of my voice? You seem to be fond of it.” Loki’s eyes traveled to Tony’s hand, which was still absently doodling over the fabric of his pants.

Tony snatched his hand away and grabbed his empty coffee mug. “Now that you mention it, all of your yapping is giving me a headache. Refill?” Tony held his hand out for Loki’s mug.

“Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for anything strange, as I've inserted many of my own headcanons into this.
> 
> 1) Loki's staff is not the same as the one he had in Avengers, as was mentioned in the story. It is a staff that was forged and given to him many years ago as a gift. Eindrok brought it to him when he freed him because of its benefits to Loki's weakened state. To my knowledge, no such staff actually exists.
> 
> 2) I don't know if Agard's royalty actually has things such as "High Sorcerers", but for the sake of this story it does. I'm also aware that magic was more common among women, which is part of the reason Eindrok is so bitter about the whole thing.
> 
> 3) Probably the strangest, but I've always imagined that after Loki got used to being a frost giant, he gained some amount of control over his body's temperature. In my headcanon his body temperature drops when he's upset/angry/sad.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably one of my favorite chapters in this story. It was so fun to write!
> 
> Lots of Loki sass. xD

When Banner returned from his meeting on Monday, Tony made it a point to socialize with him and the others. He hadn’t slept at all, so he was wide awake in the kitchen attempting to create something edible when Banner’s cab dropped him off at five in the morning. Seeing Tony’s impending disaster, the scientist and better cook of the two stepped in to help. 

By half past six they had lured all of the Avengers into the common room with the scent of bacon, omelets, waffles, and pancakes and a little help from Jarvis. As Thor set the table and Natasha filled mugs with orange juice or coffee, Barton flipped through news channels on the television. “It’s going to be storming all day, apparently. Not a cloud in sight yesterday and today we get a veritable hurricane.”

Thor took his seat at the table and dropped a napkin on his lap, then started to fill his plate. “I do not like the feeling of this storm. I am very familiar with thunder and lightening but this… this does not feel as it should.” He gave Tony a questioning look, as if to ask if Loki knew anything, but Tony just shrugged. Natasha noticed the exchange but didn’t say anything.

“Well since we’re all stuck in doors today, maybe you’ll join us in the gym Tony?” Steve had been pestering him about it almost daily, but Tony had evaded him so far. He wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of fighting Steve or Thor without his armor, and he knew that’s exactly what they were hoping to do.

“Not today, boys.” Natasha set her orange juice down and shook her head slightly. “I need a break. I think I pulled a muscle yesterday when I slammed Thor into that wall.”

Thor nodded sympathetically and Tony cringed at the idea. Maybe he should add the widow to the list of people that he didn’t want to fight without his suit on. “Perhaps we should use this day of rest to enjoy the company of each other,” Thor suggested. “Rather than fight with our fists, we should compete in the television games that Clint enjoys so.”

“Video games?” Tony glanced at the flat screen. “I’m up for that.” There were certainly more important things that he could be doing in his shop, but the past several days of sitting down there and tinkering while Loki watched him carefully and quietly had made him a bit claustrophobic. If he was forced to spend too much more time with the god, he might start letting his guard down and doing stupid things. Like letting Loki’s legs rest on his lap and tracing patterns into the fabric to calm him. Though it was hardly enough to be obvious, Loki had been a bit nicer since then. Surely their drunken and sappy exchange of personal stories hadn’t helped with that either.

“Any game suggestions? I have a pretty big collection.” Barton rattled off a few of the names, but none stuck out to Tony. He enjoyed video games but didn’t play often. Steve suggested Tetris and Natasha wanted to play a first person shooter. Clint listed off at least ten games that he wanted to play and Tony just shrugged. Then Banner chuckled to himself quietly and everyone turned to him. “Idea?” Tony prompted, chewing a piece of bacon.

Banner smiled and ducked his head. “Super Smash Brothers?” 

They all got a good laugh out of it, but in the end it won. When breakfast was cleared away and the storm had completely moved in, they set up the game and started to play. 

It was quickly established that Barton’s skills were borderline unfair. He won the first few rounds with Link, until Natasha implemented the rule that you couldn’t play with the same character twice. Even still, he did a fair job of making the rest of them seem incompetent. 

“If I win this round, Natasha goes on a date with me,” he joked. Much to his surprise she took him up on the challenge. Whether it was nerves or the elbow to his ribcage in their final battle that did it, he lost the round.

“All right, if we’re going to play that way, Tony and I will play. If I win, you have to come to the gym with us tomorrow.” Steve selected Captain Falcon.

Tony chose Samus. “You’re on, but it will have to be after whatever awful meeting Pepper is forcing me into.” The fight began and the others cheered back and forth.

“Tony Stark, it would be dishonorable if you lost to a man who has nearly as little experience in your television games as I,” Thor taunted. Banner rooted for him as well, suggesting well thought out strategies as an alternative to Tony’s apparent ‘button mashing’. 

Steve was button mashing even more, but he didn’t seem to have much luck with the character. “Why is this game so difficult?” He groaned as he fell off the side of Hyrule castle for a second time.

“Only one life left,” Barton announced. Tony got cocky and tried to grab an item that was too far off. He fell off the edge as well and evened the score. “To the death!” Barton cheered. 

Tired of evading each other, they both jumped onto the highest platform and open-fired all they had. Tony was just about to blast Steve off into the sky when Natasha leapt over the couch and pulled out Tony’s controller. “For the team!” she cheered, and Steve knocked Tony clear off the map.

“That was cheating!” he complained, but he was still laughing. “You’re fired!”

“Pity I don’t work for you anymore, Mr. Stark. Looks like we’ll be seeing you in the gym tomorrow.”

Several hours passed before stomachs started grumbling and somebody thought to check the time. “Four in the afternoon?” The storm had kept everything so dark that it felt like the sun had never come up at all. They discussed lunch options and, after deciding it would be cruel to make a delivery boy come to them, Clint and Natasha volunteered to go pick up pizza for the group. They all placed their orders and one more round of Super Smash Bros dictated that Tony got to pay for it.

“There is something I must check on in my room,” Thor excused after they left. He eyed Tony in a terribly obvious way.

“Uh, yeah, me too,” he said as he stood. Banner and Steve just nodded and continued their conversation on some old art piece that Steve had seen at a museum. 

When they were in the elevator, Thor pressed the button for Tony’s floor. “I apologize for interrupting, but I must speak to my brother. I feel that he may not be so inviting if you are not with me.”

“Rain storm still bugging you? You know, we get these on occasion. They can be pretty bad but as long as you have good battery backups on everything to prevent short circuiting, there’s really no reason to worry.”

Thor frowned, no doubt confused by Tony’s technology-speak. “It is not a natural storm.”

Tony entered the room to find Loki sitting on the couch with his arms crossed. “Oh, how kind of you to remember me. I see you didn’t think me to bring any food. Shall I just go downstairs and get some for myself? I do imagine that might interrupt the wonderful time you’re having.” 

“Ah,” Tony smiled. “See? I knew you would get the hang of sarcasm eventually. It just takes practice.”

“Stark, I have been up here with nothing but coffee to sate my hunger for nearly twenty four hours, as you neglected to bring me dinner last night as well. If you wish to keep my presence here a secret, I suggest you pay more attention to my needs.”

“All right, all right. I’ll bring you some pizza as soon as it gets here. We probably ordered more than we can eat anyway.” Loki’s eyes were on Thor now. “As you might have noticed, I brought a friend along to discuss the weather.”

“The weather indeed. No doubt you’ve noticed the nature of this storm by now.” Loki turned his attention to the windows where the rain pounded relentlessly.

“I have. It does not feel natural.” Thor sat on the couch and Loki stood.

“It is not.” He paced across the room a few times and finally stopped a few feet from Tony, then turned to Thor. “I will explain the nature of this threat now, but only if you keep your mouth shut. Father is not to know until it is time. I can assure you that informing him any sooner will end in his death.”

Thor’s expression was serious and his attention was completely focused on Loki. Tony leaned against the wall and listened as Loki repeated everything he had said the night before. Well, nearly everything. He let some of the finer details escape, such as his desire to be Thor’s equal and Eindrok’s threats to Frigga. Tony wondered if it meant anything, that Loki had only spoken of such personal things to him, or if he was only leaving it out for the sake of convenience. 

Near the end of his explanation, he turned to look at Tony. “You asked what Eindrok’s abilities were, and now I will tell you.” He regarded both Tony and Thor. “He has mastered magic pertaining to the control of elements; specifically the most basic elements of water, fire, earth and air. He intends to destroy this planet through seemingly natural disasters, but Asgard will know. This storm is a taste of what is to come and I imagine it will last for many days.”

“Is there anything you can do to end it, brother?” Thor looked to Loki with concern.

“I cannot. I must concentrate on regaining all of my magic so that I can defeat him when it comes time.” He turned his head to Tony again and narrowed his eyes dangerously. “ _Food_ would be an excellent way to assure I regain my _strength_ in a _timely manner_.”

“Yes your highness,” Tony grinned. He might have felt a little guilty about forgetting to bring Loki food, but he wasn’t about to let it show. “Good thing I don’t keep pets; they’d starve to death.”

“Are you suggesting I am a pet?” Loki’s glare was chilling. Tony noticed that he’d gotten awfully close. Thor watched them from the couch, not seeming overly concerned about the possibility of Loki turning Tony into a puddle of goo. 

“Of course not,” Tony said smoothly. He resisted the urge to step back and continued to look Loki straight in the eye. “You greet me with threats; a puppy would greet me with enthusiasm and a lick on the cheek.”

Loki stepped closer. Too quiet for Thor to hear, he whispered, “Is that what you want, Stark? For me to greet you _enthusiastically_ ” his eyes flicked downward and Tony had a good idea what he had glanced at, “and lick your cheek?” 

He shivered and realized he was holding his breath. He was fairly certain that if Thor wasn’t on the couch, Loki would have run his cold tongue right up his cheek as per suggestion. 

“Sir, I have been told to inform you that the pizza has arrived,” Jarvis announced. The tension in the room broke and Loki stepped away.

“Good. I expect food in no less than an hour.” 

Thor stood and Loki moved toward the couch to reclaim his seat. “Brother?” Thor asked, taking a gentle hold of Loki’s upper arm. They exchanged a look that made Tony curious but before he could try to understand what it was, Loki pulled his arm free and settled back onto the couch. He pulled a book from somewhere and began to read. 

Thor and Tony stepped into the elevator and set it for the common room floor. “Has my brother’s presence… troubled you?” Thor asked as they ascended.

“Not really. He’s moody and bratty, but nothing I can’t handle.” Tony hoped the conversation would end there. He didn’t doubt that Thor had seen his breathing stop and his face turn just slightly red at the confrontation. 

Thor only smiled, as if he were in on a joke that Tony wasn’t a part of. Then they were with the others again, laughing and playing games and eating pizza. A little less than an hour after they had left Loki, Tony said he had to use the bathroom. Luckily they were all to involved in the game to see Tony swipe an entire pizza on his way there. 

He locked the door behind him, still able to hear the hoots and hollers of his friends as they competed. “Jarvis, please tell Loki to zap his ass down here fast and get this pizza.”

Jarvis complied and a moment later, Loki was standing before him. “I had hoped you would bring the pizza to me,” he complained, opening the lid and examining it. “What are the yellow squares?”

“What, did you miss me? They’re pineapples.”

Loki paused to stare at Tony. “A fruit? Is it not bad enough that you incorporated bread, meat, cheese, strange sauce, and copious amounts of grease into this triangular abomination? Now you must add fruit?”

“And vegetables. Those are green peppers.” He pointed. “Everything you’re supposed to have in your diet, all in one handy little triangle. We call it a food pyramid.”

“Stark, you are ridiculous.” Loki took the pizza out of his hands with feigned disgust, but Tony caught the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“Now vamoose before my friends start thinking I talk to myself in the pisser.”

Loki made a face. “Return to you room soon. I am bored.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” He reached over and flushed the toilet in case anyone was listening. 

“All right. Oh, and should I greet you… _enthusiastically_?” Loki smirked at Tony’s unamused expression, then vanished once again.

Nobody seemed to suspect anything at all when Tony returned from the bathroom, so he dove right back into the video games. Clint and Natasha had popped in a video game store while they were waiting for the pizzas and found a copy of “The Mighty Avengers”, a game that had apparently been released mere days ago. They had all sorts of fun playing it; trying each other’s characters and then their own. They all, except for Thor, laughed when the Hulk’s character reenacted the “Loki Smash”, but then Tony remembered Loki’s wounds, both physical and prideful, and didn’t think it was quite as funny. 

He got a great kick out of his own character, though, who had the most absurd catch phrases and witty one-liners imaginable. After almost three more hours of battling each other with their video game counterparts, they all admitted to being tired and near cross-eyed from all of the gaming. Plates and cups were washed and pizza boxes were collected and thrown away, then each of the Avengers happily went on their own way. 

Even though it was only eight, Tony felt utterly exhausted. He wished he could sleep the way he had when Loki had calmed him last Thursday night, but the closest thing he had achieved since then was his drunken nap on his workshop table. With his stomach overly full with pizza and soda, alcohol didn’t sound especially appealing. 

He was half expecting Loki to spring on him in the doorway, but it appeared the god had only been teasing. He was still stretched out on the couch with his book. Tony waved hello to him and wandered down to his workshop, unsurprised when Loki followed. They settled into their usual places, Loki on the couch and Tony in his rolling chair behind the tables, and Tony started with his tinkering. 

He quickly grew bored and, thinking of the game, decided to look up some articles on the event that seemed so long ago. He scrolled through the many news articles capturing images of Captain America lifting a car off of a family or the Hulk swinging from a building onto a Chitauri ship. There were several of Tony in his beaten up suit, blasting this or that, and one of him falling unconscious from the sky. He stared at that one for a very long time before he felt Loki’s breath on his shoulder. He jumped and nearly knocked the god in the face with his elbow. 

“Calm yourself. I was only curious as to what the Midgardians had to say about the event.” He reached past Tony and dragged a finger up the screen to scroll. A side article caught his attention and he tapped it.

Tony Stark; Working With Aliens? The article’s titled was in bold letters across the top, but Loki was looking at the picture. It was of him and Tony as they walked, eyes on each other, into the Stark Tower right before their chat that ended with Tony being thrown out the window. Tony was smiling in the shot and Loki’s face was turned from the camera.

“Is that what they call us? Aliens? How ridiculous. I do suppose this article is somewhat credible, though. Almost as if they predicted with the future.”

“I’m not working with you,” Tony snapped. He glared at the picture of him falling from the sky, still visible as a thumbnail from the article that Loki was looking at now. “It’s a temporary agreement for the benefit of this planet. It has nothing to do with you or me.” He remembered his last conscious moments, when he had watched the Chitauri ship explode and seen a glimpse of other worlds. When his last call had failed and he had felt more alone then he knew was possible.

Loki pulled on the armrest of his chair and spun him around. “That memory troubles you greatly,” he stated. 

“Digging around in my mind again?”

“I cannot read minds, Stark. I merely observed a change when you came across the picture. I know it must not have been pleasant. I too have fallen to what should have been my death.” Loki’s voice held a hint of sympathy and Tony wondered if he was trying to calm him. His usually mischievous eyes were gentle and studied him carefully. Avoiding Loki’s gaze, Tony dropped his eyes to the god’s shirt; a soft green cotton garment far more casual than the armor he had worn all day yesterday. The folds accented his thin body and, for a brief second, Tony remembered the feeling of Loki’s body beneath him when he had pinned him in their battle.

Tony caught himself and stood, moving past Loki and busying his hands with putting away his tools. “Do you have to do that?”

“Do what, exactly?” Loki turned paced a few steps away, picking up a screwdriver and turning it over in his hand. 

“I don’t know, whatever voodoo magic you’re doing.” Exasperated, Tony dropped a wrench into a drawer and shut it a little harder than he needed to. 

“I am not using any magic at the moment, nor have I for the past several hours. You’ll have to be more specific.” He met Tony’s eyes.

“Then why is it that when I look at you I get so distracted? By everything. Your eyes, your neck, your stupid collarbones… You’re trying to seduce me and it’s driving me mad.”

Loki set the screwdriver carefully on the table and took two long strides that put him just inches from Tony. “Does everything have to be my fault?” Unable to resist teasing the already angry man, Loki trailed a finger up his neck and then to his chin, using it to turn Tony’s face up at him. “Did you ever consider that you might just happen to find me attractive?”

Tony knocked Loki’s hand away and took a step back. “Very funny. I like women, Loki. I like booze and tits and one night stands. Not to mention I like humans, which you aren’t, and I don’t like criminals, which you are.” He wanted to leave the room and escape the infuriating god, but he was cornered by his tables with no way out. 

“You are in a foul mood this evening, Stark.” 

“And you’re not helping! All you do is sit and watch me all day long, then try to seduce me and lie about it.” He groaned and rubbed his temples. “I need a drink. Will you move?”

“I think, rather, you need rest. You humans tend to get terribly cranky when deprived of sleep.”

“I don’t need-” Loki took a hold of Tony’s shoulders and pulled him forward, enveloping him gently. 

Tony thought to fight against Loki’s hold, but he found himself getting incredibly tired all of a sudden. It felt like all of that missed sleep was catching up to him at once. His eyes slipped closed. Loki’s clothes were soft against his cheek and they smelled like leather and something else that could only be described as magic. “Now,” Loki whispered, watching the fight leave Tony as he slowly drifted off, “I am using magic.” There was a flicker, a change in the air, and then Tony felt his soft mattress beneath him and the blankets being pulled over his body. “Sleep well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my life blood. Please feed me!
> 
> Tell me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony survives a company meeting and apologizes to Loki for being a butthead.
> 
> And just so you guys know, I will be starting a new contest soon. It will revolve around this fic and the prize will be... POP VINYL LOKI BOBBLEHEAD. Hell yes. Look at this cutie right here: [Click me!](http://kitsunechann.tumblr.com/post/62690495983/kitsunechann-guysguysguysugysfaslfj-i-bought)

Pepper came to pick Tony up far too early in the morning. It was still pouring rain and he insisted that there was no need to leave so early for a meeting that was only an hour away, but he was pleasantly surprised when she pulled up to one of his favorite hole-in-the-wall breakfast diners. 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I missed you. Vacation gets boring very quickly when I don’t have any of your messes to clean up after.” They sat down and a motherly waitress slid menus onto the table, but Tony already knew what he wanted. 

Even if Pepper said her vacation was too long, Tony could tell it had been good for her. She didn’t look as pale and starved for sunlight as she had before, and there was an extra bounce to her step when she walked. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t look stressed. “You look good,” he observed aloud. 

“Thank you. Maybe it’s contagious; you look like you've actually slept once or twice in my absence.”

Tony remembered Loki’s embrace and the sweet smell of him before he’d fallen asleep. He quickly pushed the scene from his mind. “I got a little more rest.”

They ordered breakfast and Pepper talked about her parents and seeing the house she grew up in. She’d even gotten the chance to meet some of her old friends, who were all terribly impressed that she was the great Tony Stark’s CEO. Their food arrived and they continued to talk as they ate. Tony told her about the day they’d spent gaming and Banner’s impressive cooking skills. He found that he’d missed the way their conversations flowed back and forth, almost always border lining on a gentle battle of wits. 

The topic circled back around to Tony’s sleep schedule and Pepper lowered her voice. “Are you doing all right, Tony? Really?” Their plates had been emptied and pushed to the side, and Pepper reached a hand across the table and set it on his.

“Of course, I’m fine.” He knew what she really meant and avoided it. He wished she didn’t worry about him so much, but ever since he had scared her awake with his screaming she’d been concerned. He was grateful she didn’t know about his anxiety attacks or she’d probably commit him to a mental ward. 

Still, there was no avoiding Pepper. “Do you still have nightmares?”

Tony thought for a long minute. “I think,” he finally said, remembering the two nights that Loki had commanded him to sleep and he had done so without issue, “I might have found a cure for them.” He didn’t want to think of Loki as a cure for anything, especially since he would be far from permanent, but if it would put Pepper’s mind at ease it didn’t hurt to say it.

“Really? That’s great. Is it healthy though?” No doubt her first thought was that he’d upped his self-prescribed dose of scotch to knock-out levels.

Tony laughed at the thought of Loki being healthy. “It will…” It took him a moment to find the right words. “It will require more testing.”

“Do you think it might be the others? Maybe staying in the tower with all of them makes you feel a bit safer.”

“It’s possible.” Tony finished his coffee and checked the time. It was hard for him to tell if staying in the tower with the others was helping, since he was simultaneously harboring a fugitive and keeping it from them. As Thor said, lies didn’t make for a healthy relationship. 

“Do you think…” Pepper paused and Tony wondered if she was blushing or he was imagining things. “Do you think that some day all of the threat will be over and it will be like it used to? When the scariest thing you had to face was me with a pile of papers that need signatures?”

They both chuckled, but Tony thought of Eindrok. The storm raged outside, an ever-present reminder that things were not all right. He knew what Pepper was really asking, so it was hard. “No,” he finally said with reluctance, “things will never be completely safe. There will always be another maniac or another desperate person that needs to be put in their place.”

“Why do you have to be the one to do it?” Pepper argued even though she knew it was a lost cause. “You could just build technology. Computers, phones, security systems, cars. Tony, you can build anything in the world that you want.”

The thought was a nice one. But Tony thought of Thor’s face when he learned that both of the realms he loved were in danger. He thought of Loki’s rigid form when he relayed Eindrok’s plans for Frigga through gritted teeth. Loki needed him to defeat Eindrok, and none of the other Avengers would help him so easily. “They need me,” Tony finally explained. There are things that only I can do and they need to be done.”

The conversation ended there and they left the diner and headed for the meeting. Before long another lighter conversation picked up and, though Tony could tell Pepper was a little let down, their easy banter came back. 

\--

The meeting, as Tony had expected, was terribly boring. It was much of the same thing as every other meeting seemed to be: Pepper reassuring everyone that Tony’s fundraisers, science fairs, product releases, and public image were doing just fine. Everyone ignoring Pepper and complaining about Tony’s bad habits. It was no surprise that his early leave from Thursday’s fundraiser was brought up. Then there was the issue of him living with the Avengers and all of the news reporters that were begging for an interview or an article on the matter. Tony promised this and promised that and promised he would ask the other Avengers about the possibility of a public announcement about their living arrangements. After several hours of arguments and debate, he was finally freed. 

On the way home, he asked Pepper on a whim to stop at a coffee shop. She waited in the car, understandably sick of running through the pouring rain, while Tony went in. He studied the selection for a long time, then finally made his order. “Two extra large raspberry mochas with whipped cream, four blueberry scones, two lemon scones, two Mallorca sweet breads, two crescants, and a dozen muffins, four of each flavor.” The barista, obviously not used to such large orders, tapped away at the screen in a flurry. After he handed over his money and an autograph for the flustered girl, he picked up his rather large bag of food and returned to the car. 

He left the dozen muffins out where the Avengers could find them with a note that they were up for grabs, then went to his floor and found Loki on the couch. He was reading another book, which Tony had found out was a spell book. Loki had been spending the days studying everything Eindrok knew in hopes that it would aid him in battle. When Tony walked in with his bag full of food, Loki’s book vanished and he rose, frustrated. 

“I know all of this in and out. The problem is that I have not had nearly as much time to practice it. I cannot do so now, as it would be a waste of my magic, but-” He sighed, seeing no solution to his predicament. “What is all of that?”

“An apology.” Tony set the coffees down and opened the bag, dumping all of the pastries onto the coffee table. They both sat on the couch. “I was a dick yesterday. I half starved you and then I was rude.” He pointed to the pastries one by one. “This is a blueberry scone. You’ll probably love it. This one’s lemon flavored; it’s all right. The crescants are godly, the sweet bread might give you a mouth-gasm, and the coffee is raspberry mocha.”

Loki stared at Tony with one eyebrow raised, but Tony wasn’t sure if it was because he was stunned at Tony’s effort to apologize or just confused as to what a ‘mouth-gasm’ was. Either way he nodded slowly and lifted the blueberry scone. Tony took the other and bit into it, hungry after the long and boring meeting. 

“Does this mean,” Loki carefully blotted a few crumbs from his lips with a napkin that Tony was certain he’d pulled out of space, “that you admit you are attracted to me?”

Tony nearly choked on his coffee. “How on earth does a pile of food and some coffee lead you to that conclusion?”

“You obviously took care in picking these things out, as they are all things that I would enjoy. Additionally, I assume that your apology is partly for accusing me of using my magic to manipulate your feelings. Am I wrong?”

To be honest, Tony hadn’t even thought about that. He didn’t want to accuse Loki of something he wasn’t doing, but he didn’t know how else to explain the thoughts he’d been having. Finally he set his scone down and sat up straighter. “Close your eyes.”

Loki did as Tony asked. Carefully, Tony studied the god. Despite the half eaten scone in his hand, there were only a few crumbs in his lap and none on his mouth. His fingers were thin and delicate like Pepper’s, but not as feminine and breakable. The long sleeved green linen shirt he wore rested on his frame like it was just a little too big, and the v-neck dipped low enough to expose his collarbones. It wasn’t hard for Tony to remember what he looked like without the shirt. Then there was his face, with his high and strong cheek bones and dark lashes; the black hair that never seemed to be combed back as completely as it used to be. The loose hairs that escaped to frame his face made him look more relaxed; more at home. Tony’s eyes traveled down his long nose and to his lips, pale and tempting but not feminine. Yeah, he was definitely attracted to the god.

“You are blushing, Stark.” Loki’s eyes were open again.

Tony turned quickly, facing the coffee table and not Loki. He grabbed his sweet bread and tore off a large piece, waiting until he was done chewing it to speak. Waiting until his heart slowed. “My reputation says I’m a bit of a whore. Maybe I just find you attractive because what they say is true: I’ll fuck anything that moves.”

“Oh? My brother then? Clint Barton? Coulson? Fury?”

With each name, Tony cringed more. Picturing Fury naked was something he never wanted to do. “Okay not so much. Next guess: I’m experiencing strange fluctuations in my hormones due to a lack of sex and being trapped here with you for so long.”

“Is that it?” Loki set down his coffee and leaned forward, well into Tony’s realm of personal space. He continued to move forward until Tony was forced to abandon his sweet bread on the table and move back. He felt the couch’s arm on his back and couldn’t move any further, but Loki still advanced on him. “Despite the reason, you do admit you find me attractive. I’m flattered.” He was all but sitting on Tony, who tried to sink further into the couch to escape him.

“Whoa, whoa. Attractive or not you’re still a man and you’re still a criminal.” Tony focused on his breathing, keeping it even and unaffected.

“A criminal? Still? I’m trying to save your miserable little planet, am I not?” Loki’s fingers that Tony had so readily admired just a few minutes ago now traveled to the collar of his shirt, making quick work of his tie and the first few buttons. 

“Loki,” Tony warned, but the god had stopped his teasing when the last button below the arc reactor popped open and the glowing blue object was fully revealed. 

Fascinated enough to forget his flirtatious advances, Loki settled on Tony’s lap and traced the arc with a finger. He felt the lines that made up the casing and studied the glowing light with care. Tony shivered when he traced the scarred skin around the reactor. Still, he had to admit to himself that he liked the way Loki’s face lit up with curiosity and fascination. “This is the device that keeps you alive,” he said softly. “And you made it? An entirely new element for the sake of your own survival. You are truly an impressive man.”

“Your coffee’s getting cold,” Tony muttered. Any threat to Loki’s coffee was sure to get a reaction. Just as Tony thought, Loki climbed off of him and returned to the drink.

“I do enjoy this raspberry mocha drink. Can you make this?”

“I’m sure I could figure it out.” They returned to the rest of their pastries without issue. When they were done and Loki was nearly purring with contentedness, Tony finally spoke. “I don’t know how I feel about you. I do know that you’re not permanent, though. My self preservation skills,” he tapped the reactor, “tell me that getting involved with you is only going to end in disappointment.”

Tony stood and collected the wrappers, crumbs, and empty cups. He dumped them all into the trash and went to his room to change for the gym. When he came out, Loki was leaning against the wall next to his door. “I am an Asgardian. I am nearly as permanent as there is.”

“In terms of life span, sure. But what happens when all of this is over? When Eindrok is dead and everyone’s safe and snug? Either you’ll go back to wreaking havoc for the sake of it or Odin will throw you back in your cell to rot. You won’t stay here.” He opened the door to head for the gym.

“We’ll see,” Loki said as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, thanks for all the comments last time guys! It really made me happy :D This chapter and the next are my favorites so far, so the next one should be out soon! :D


	13. Chapter 13

“I’m glad you finally decided to come up here. You’ve really been missing out.” Steve patted Tony on the back and grinned, gesturing to the massive gym. All of the other floors were divided into three or four rooms each, but this floor was one giant room, filled with every type of workout anyone could possibly desire. The outer walls looked like they were made of windows, but Tony knew that the clear blue sky was only an illusion. They could still hear the rain pounding down on the building and the thunder cracking through the sky.

“So what are we doing today?” Tony finally asked, watching as Natasha and Clint pushed some of the machinery out of the way. The majority of the room was wide open space.

“Fighting.” Natasha stepped up and dusted off her hands. “No suits, no weapons. I’m ‘it’. We fight until one of you defeats me, then that person becomes ‘it’. Three at a time. Jarvis kindly agreed to time us. Whoever does the worst gets the honor of cooking all of the meals for the next two days.”

The conditions sounded easy enough, but Tony couldn’t imagine he’d stand any sort of a chance against the Hulk without his suit. Then he noticed. “Where’s Bruce?” 

“Dr. Banner has expressed his distaste for this particular exercise and wishes to remain in his lab for the evening,” Thor announced.

It made sense. Then again, “And how exactly is a pack of mortals up against a god fair?” He sized up Thor and frowned at the thought of being punched by one of those arms. “I like my pretty face fully intact, you know.”

“Isn’t that what we are though?” It was Barton that cut in. “A pack of mortals against a god? We need to be ready to fight Loki in any conditions. That includes without suits. Or arrows.” Tony noticed the lack of the quiver on Clint’s back and wondered if the archer felt naked without it.

“All right, I guess I’ll give it a shot.” He started to stretch, as did the others, and hoped that his boxing matches with Happy had done him some good. 

The match began with Clint, Natasha, and Steve. It was actually rather fascinating to watch. Natasha began on the opposite side of the room. Clint and Steve circled around opposite walls, charging in on her at the same time. Steve was faster and leapt at the Widow, feinting back to avoid a sharp kick to the mouth. Clint appeared behind her at that moment and put her in a headlock, but a sharp elbow to the gut made him lose is hold and stop to gasp and sputter for a moment. It was almost unfair, it seemed, to watch her trapped between the two, constantly fending off one attack to face another, but she stayed ‘alive’ for an impressive four and a half minutes. Finally Clint manage to kick her feet out from beneath her while she was distracted by Steve. He leapt on her back and pinned her arms, yowling when she bit down on his wrist but refusing to let her up. After Steve’s five second count, Clint was made ‘it’.

Natasha came back, winded, and gave Thor a slap on the shoulder. “You’re up big guy,” she said, snagging a bottle of water and sitting next to Tony. This round was much faster, though it wasn’t for Clint’s lack of trying. Being up against Thor and Steve at the same time was unfair no matter whom the victim was. His time was one minute and forty five seconds, and when Steve finally pinned him to the ground he groaned a surrender.

It was Tony’s turn after that. If he was to face Steve with anyone by his side at all, he was glad it was Thor. “Just don’t punch the reactor too hard, Super Soldier. You break it, I die.” He wished he had some other protection around it, but he knew Steve would never aim for it on purpose. None of them would. 

Thor initiated the attack and leapt at Steve from an impressive distance, aiming a fist for the man’s jaw. He hit his shoulder instead and Steve took the blow without stumbling too much. Tony wondered if Thor was holding back. Rather than jump right into the fight, Tony skirted around the edges and only attacked when Thor gave him a good opening. Instead he watched Steve’s footing, his stance, even the way he held himself while waiting for an attack to come. When he kicked at Thor with his right foot, he put it down next to his left. When he kicked with his left, though, he put that foot down about two inches forward. Tony went for a headlock but Steve threw him off, just as he expected. Thor dropped back a bit to catch Tony before he smashed into the ground.

“Make him kick you with his left,” Tony whispered to the god as he was helped back onto his feet. “When I’m behind him.” He was sweating now, not used to fighting without the many features of his suit to aid him. 

They resumed their battle just as Jarvis announced that Steve’s time had surpassed Natasha’s. Tony threw a punch that was easily knocked away and pretended to stumble to the side, using the opportunity to get behind him. Thor threw one punch, then another, then went for another, intentionally leaving himself wide open. Steve took the bait and swung his left leg into Thor’s side. The god stumbled, Steve’s foot touched the ground just a few inches forward, and Tony slammed into him like a boulder, using his momentary lapse in balance to send him flying. Five seconds later, Tony was crowned ‘it’ and Steve was limping back to the sidelines. 

The battle continued for nearly thirty minutes before Natasha declared it changed to “offensive mode”, in which the person that was ‘it’ now had to defeat one of their attackers rather than be defeated. This continued for forty minutes before all of them were completely wiped out, sore and battered. Thor came out in the lead, closely followed by Steve and Natasha. Tony beat out Clint by mere seconds, and Clint was left in charge of dinner. 

“I’m going to go clean up,” Tony said, pushing his sweat-dampened hair out of his face. The others agreed and they all departed and headed to their rooms. It wasn’t until he was in the hot shower and starting to relax that Tony noticed the weird feeling creeping up on him. He rubbed soap over his arms, wincing at a bruise that Steve had left. He touched another bruise from Thor- who had actually stopped to apologize- and two more from Natasha’s small but sharp fists. His legs felt like jelly and his arms felt like lead, but the strange feeling persisted past those things. 

When he turned off the shower and toweled himself off, he recognized it. “Not now,” he muttered to himself, closing his eyes for a second. In his mind he heard Thor bellow as he charged at an opponent. He opened them and slipped on his jeans, refusing to acknowledge his shaking hands. Water. Maybe that would help. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to steady himself, leaving the bathroom and heading toward the mini fridge for water. But there was Loki, sitting on the couch.

After giving him an unintentionally startled look, Tony turned without explanation and all but ran to his shop. He shut and locked the door behind him, clutching at his chest and begging his body not to betray him. His limbs started to tingle and something caught in his throat, and then he was pressing himself against the wall in the corner, curled into a ball and pulling his hair. 

“Stark?” Loki’s voice inquired, muffled by the door. 

The sound startled Tony and he curled further into his ball, gasping for air. He needed to do something. He needed to escape. But to where? He was afraid to move from his corner, but at the same time he needed to flee. 

“Stark!” Loki’s voice was beside him now, but it still sounded far away. “Look at me!” Loki kneeled and lifted Tony’s chin, staring into his wide eyes. The god couldn’t remember ever seeing him so scared, even when he faced the possibility of defeat in battle. “What’s wrong with him, computer?” Loki tried to pull him out of his ball to see if he was injured, but Tony jumped away from his touch, pressing himself closer to the wall.

“He is suffering from an anxiety attack,” Jarvis said. Despite his being a computer, Loki could have sworn he heard worry in Jarvis’ tone. 

“What do I do?” Tony started to hyperventilate. “Breathe you idiot!”

“He often rinses his face with cold water or asks me to relay mundane information to distract him,” Jarvis offered. “Though I do not know if either will be effective, as this is one of the worst he has experienced.”

Loki stopped listening to Jarvis and peeled Tony from the wall. He pressed an icy hand against the back of his neck and another on his forehead, then trailed the cold fingers across his face. “Breathe. I will not harm you. You are safe here.”

Tony’s eyes flicked to Loki’s and then elsewhere, but he tried to slow his breathing. Another image of Steve vaulting toward him and knocking him to the ground flashed through his mind and he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. He saw Natasha fall to the ground in a crumple heap; felt a pain in his side from somebody hitting him. His mind was half fear and half numb.

Icy hands continued to cool his face until he was slightly less tense. Gently, Loki pulled him from the wall, letting Tony lean against his chest instead. He threaded a hand through Tony’s hair, still wet from the shower, and reminded him again to breathe in and breathe out and repeat. Before too long, Tony stopped shaking, but still clung to Loki’s shirt like it was the only thing keeping him anchored to this world. Somehow, Loki knew. “I did this to you,” he spoke. It scared him to see such a vulnerable side of such a strong man. And it was his fault. 

“No,” Tony finally mumbled into Loki’s arm, where his face rested. “The Chitauri did this.” He was mentally and physically exhausted. He willingly ignored the fact that a villain’s arms were wrapped around him, finding the comfort to be worth it.

“I brought them here,” Loki whispered, wondering if he regretted it. If he would do it again, given the chance. “Your night terrors, your anxiety; they were caused by my actions.”

Tony sighed, then pushed out of Loki’s embrace and sat up. “Then make it right.” He tried to stand but his legs would have none of it, so Loki helped him to his feet and led him to his bedroom.

“I cannot. To erase your fears and the things that cause these terrors, I would have to erase parts of your memories.” He sat down on his side of the bed and watched Tony crawl under the covers on the other side. “I am sorry. It was not my intention to make you suffer this way. Perhaps once I would have wished this upon you, but no longer.”

Loki started to stand, but Tony’s hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged hard, pulling him back onto the bed. “Stay. You don’t have to erase my memories. Just… stay here. I could use a good night’s sleep and those only seem to happen when you’re nearby.” He laughed lightly. “Ironic, huh?” 

After a moment Loki nodded and lifted the covers on his own side. He removed his shirt and slipped beneath them. “A hero asking a villain to sleep with him,” Loki mused aloud.

“I feel more like a dirty washrag than a hero, and you haven’t exactly been villainous lately.” He turned his head on the pillow and met Loki’s eyes. “Don’t smirk at me! I know what you’re thinking. I told you I’m not interested.”

Loki laughed lightly. “Of course you aren’t. Think of me as nothing more than a sleep aid.”

“Right. Magical sleeping pill, work your magic.” Tony turned his head away and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to come to him. The covers rustled for a second, then a hand slipped into his. “Whoa! We are not in a hand holding relationship, Antler Man!” He tried to pull his hand away, but it didn’t seem to be obeying him.

Loki only chuckled again, knowing that Tony couldn’t see the green sparks of magic traveling up his arm. “Sleep, Stark.” 

And then Tony was asleep, fingers still twined between Loki’s under the sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **For those curious about the gym fight's results:** From best to worst times, it was Thor, Steve, Natasha, Tony, and Clint. Why? (I put way too much thought into this.) Well, starting with Thor and Steve: Steve is crazy strong, of course. Super soldier. I figure he's almost on par with Thor, but Thor has had many many more years of battles and experience. Additionally, Thor's general fighting style is much more offensive than Steve's. Natasha came in third because her skill in hand to hand combat is her strength. While the others rely on weapons, she does not. If Thor and Steve were just normal everyday humans, I honestly think that she would come out on top in a hand to hand battle. That's all easy enough. As for Clint and Tony, I fear that people will think I had Clint place last as an afterthought. Actually, I put a lot of thought into his placing. It's not surprising that Thor and Steve would beat him. (Cheaters with their superstrength and whatnot.) In the Avengers, he stood a damn good chance fighting Natasha, but she's quicker and more skilled in that area. I would expect her to win any fight against him, even if by only a small amount. Now Tony. As far as Tony goes, there are a lot of factors. He's the oldest, he's used to the protection of his suit, and he's spent the majority of his life in a shop building and creating where Clint and the others have spent their lives fighting. He has his boxing and self workouts going for him, but still. So why would he beat Clint? Two reasons. One, without his suit, he still fights with his mind. Hence defeating Steve with a well thought out reaction to an observation. Instead of brute force, he thinks and plans and acts. (Genius, duh.) Second, I think that Clint's expertise relies heavily on long ranged weaponry and stealth. I just don't see him being a hand to hand combat kind of guy unless it's necessary. Therefore, I believe he would train most with what he's good at. Between the dependency on his bow and arrows and Tony's logic fighting, I think that Tony would (just barely!) come out on top. Of course I'm just basing this off of my own thoughts and what I've gathered of the characters, so I could be way off. Just thought I'd explain my thoughts! ^^;
> 
> **The panic attacks:** From what I've gathered over time, panic attacks can be very different for everyone. In IM3, Tony's attacks seemed to build slowly until a breaking point. When he hits that point, his first response is usually to flee. (Running from Rhodey, Harley, and then escaping the car) After that he seemed to get lost in his own world for a minute or two, reliving the fight in NY through flashbacks, until something in his brain clicked, and then generally he seemed to have a fast recovery from the attack. I tried to stay true to that in my story. The other symptoms (tingling, being lightheaded, recoiling from touch, then latching on to comfort) are all things that I have observed in my own panic attacks. _On a more personal note, one reason I absolutely love Iron Man and the third movie is because having panic attacks has always made me feel like a bit of a freak. Yeah sure it can happen to anyone, but I was terribly embarrassed by it and ashamed of myself. To see someone like Tony, a goddamned_ superhero _suffer from the same thing made me feel a lot better about it and about myself in general. Even if he's fictional, it really made me think differently about it. That particular love of Tony and Iron Man inspired this fanfiction. I have someone wonderful in my life that helps me through my panic attacks and Tony deserves that too. So he can have a Loki. <3_
> 
> And now that you know way more about the wackjob that writes this story than you ever wanted to, I shall leave you be. New chapter soon!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains mature content.   
> Sorry to spoil it for you but I don't want anyone to get caught off guard!

It had been a long time since Tony had dreamt instead of having nightmares. It started as gentle stream of thoughts that materialized into the Avengers common room where the team was relaxing after what seemed like breakfast. Bruce scrubbed at dishes and talked over his shoulder, teaching Steve how to do something on his tablet. Barton and Natasha were watching TV on the couch, mocking the bad fighting in an old samurai flick. Tony found himself seated at the table, a nearly full cup of coffee in front of him. Thor materialized before him, which made perfect sense despite being impossible, and informed him that Loki had requested his presence. 

Tony glanced up, expecting the Avengers to panic at the name, but nobody seemed to hear or care. “Right,” he muttered, standing and sliding the chair back into place. “You can have the rest of my coffee, big guy.” Thor looked thrilled.

The door to Tony’s floor swung open to reveal Loki in his usual place, stretched out on the couch in all of his long-limbed glory with an open book propped up on his chest. His bare chest, Tony realized. That was new. Further inspection revealed that Loki was wearing none of his typical clothing. Instead he wore a pair of Tony’s longer sweat pants, resting low on his hips to compensate for the height difference. Aside from that and the pair of slippers on his feet, Loki didn’t appear to be wearing much else.

“Can I help you?” the god finally questioned, tipping his book forward and peering at Tony over it. “You’re staring.”

“What’s with the getup? And is your hair in a ponytail?” Tony interrogated, crossing the room and standing over the lounging prince. 

“Are you bothered?” He swung his feet off the couch and nodded to the empty space. Tony sat down. “I find the lack of additional clothing to be quite comfortable. Perhaps you should try it as well?” With a grin that spoke clearly of mischief, he leaned forward and hooked a finger into the collar of Tony’s button-up. A quick flick of his hand released the top button.

“I’m sensing some pent up sexual frustration in you,” Tony deadpanned. Another button popped open. “Taking over the world must not leave much time for those things.” Another. Tony tried not to squirm under Loki’s gaze. The mischievous glint was still there, but mostly his green eyes were lustful. “I think I hear a project calling my name in the shop…”

“Stark,” Loki spoke, his voice dropping into the range of downright seductive. “I’m not blind.” An unexpected shift in position ended with Loki sitting on Tony’s lap, one arm supporting him against the backrest as the other flicked the last few buttons open. “I see the way your eyes linger on me when you think I’m not paying attention.” Their cheeks brushed as Loki leaned in to purr his words into Tony’s ear. “The way you breath shortens when I get too close. The way you forget to breathe.” He made noise that sounded a bit like a chuckle. “Stark, breathe.”

Tony inhaled sharply, abruptly aware of how tight his jeans were. His next breath caught in his throat when Loki lipped at his earlobe, then traveled down to kiss the pulse in his neck. “You know, I’m really not used to this. I’m usually the one doing the seducing.”

“Perhaps next time you can show me.” Loki’s hand explored Tony’s chest, teasing at the edges of the reactor before dipping lower.

“My seductive powers are generally reserved for women,” Tony added, mentally scolding himself for sounding so breathless.

Loki chuckled again and dragged a nail down the crotch of Tony’s jeans. “I’m certain I could convince you to make an exception.” He pawed at the obvious bulge and Tony stuttered out a moan.

It was hard to resist pressing into Loki’s palm as the god rubbed him through his jeans and he was half tempted to just pull the damn things off and make both of their lives easier. Loki, however, seemed to be enjoying himself. He teased and taunted, hovering on the very edge of giving Tony what he wanted but never quite getting there. I wasn’t until Tony finally groaned a short, “Please,” that Loki grinned and slid off of his lap. The groping hand was replaced with the gentle scrape of teeth against denim and the pressure of a tongue, and Tony could feel Loki’s hot breath right through the material. He groaned and his hands flew up to undo his fly. Loki reacted just as quickly, snatching Tony’s wrists and pinning them down the couch. He grinned and continued to tease, wrapping his mouth around the bulge and humming delightedly. “Fuck!” Tony moaned.

“Patience, Stark. That will come later.”

 

\--

 

Tony’s eyes flicked open and he glanced around, cataloguing his surroundings. He was in his bed, not on the couch. As far as he could tell he was still dressed, which was generally a good sign. He took a deep breath to steady himself and felt resistance in the form of an arm draped over his torso. 

“You moaned in your sleep,” Loki announced when he realized Tony was awake. Tony felt a tickle on the back of his neck as Loki exhaled and he quickly made the connection to the arm wrapped around him and the warm body pressed against his back.. “Though it was not a moan of fear or pain.”

Loki’s voice was tainted with sleep and the deep rumble against his back brought the dream back into mind full-forced. His erection throbbed at the reminder. He scrambled out of Loki’s arms and off the bed in record time. “Did you do that?”

“Did I do what?”

“That dream?” He held the blanket up to cover his waist. 

“Your dream was about me?” Loki grinned and licked his lips. “You seemed to enjoy it.”

Great. Tony couldn’t deal with Loki’s suggestive pose and the eyes that seemed to go right through the blanket he held up. He abandoned the cover and headed for the shower. 

Usually a nice cold shower would do the trick, but Tony didn’t even notice the frigid water as it slid over his body. He was distracted by thoughts of the tub and the things that could be done in it. Or in his very shower, for that matter. The space was just big enough for two people to fit with a little extra room for maneuvering, allowing for several possibilities when it came to position. It would be a shame to let all of this S.H.I.E.L.D. funded space go to waste. Not that he was considering exploring the possibilities with Loki. That was absurd. He gave up on the cold water and turned it to near boiling, rubbing a bit of shampoo into his hair. If he had any intention of defiling his little piece of the Avengers tower, it would be with a woman. Maybe he would even go out tonight and find a reporter or barmaid to tempt. It had been far too long since he’d brought a woman home and the sexual frustration was obviously taking its toll.

Either way, he still had a problem to deal with and no amount of freezing or scalding water seemed to discourage it. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Tony was nothing if not imaginative. However, as good as he was at conjuring up fantasies when needed, the busty blonde in his mind kept transforming into a tall Asgardian with wild black hair and playful green eyes. Finally, he gave up. He groaned and, though he would never admit it, he closed his eyes and thought of Loki as he stroked himself.

\--

Tony escaped to the common room after his shower, lingering in the kitchen and taking his time with breakfast. Barton’s cooking consisted of slightly burnt and formerly frozen waffles out of a box, but Tony didn’t have any room to complain though. Chances were if he’d come in last they’d all be starving. Food was food. After he had his fill, he piled a few more waffles onto his plate and glanced at the clock.

“Look at the time. I’ve got something I need to do in my lab.” He stood with the plate and his coffee and nodded a goodbye to the others. “I’ll bring the plate back down later.” He said when Natasha eyed it suspiciously. “Your waffles are fantastic, Barton.”

He was going to have to find another way to bring Loki food if this kept up. So far he’d been fairly lucky at snatching food when the others weren’t around, but he felt like it would become very noticeable if he continued carrying meals to his room every day. He’d stock his mini fridge with food, but there was hardly enough room for a few bottles of water and the ice trey. That and there was no way to cook anything.

Loki eyed the waffles with trepidation but Tony didn’t stick around to see if it ate them or not. Instead he set the plate on the bar and slipped into his workshop, determined to solve the calibration issues of his newest suit once and for all. Perhaps some good old science and mechanics would take his mind off of things and set him back to normal. 

It was almost an hour before Loki’s soft footsteps alerted Tony to his presence. “You are tense. Are you angry with me?”

“Nope.” Tony jammed a screwdriver between two of the metal parts and pried. If he was right, the source of the problem was just under the plate that he was trying to pull up.

“I did not intentionally influence your dream.” Loki eyed the clearly alcoholic drink sitting beside Tony’s work. “I do imagine it’s a bit early to be drinking.”

“Spooning me in my sleep didn’t exactly help. And I’ll drink when I want.” He ripped out a piece of the suit’s leg and glared at it. 

Tony expected an argument, but Loki was quiet for several minutes. Then, as if his was inquiring about the weather, he asked, “did you enjoy your dream, at the very least?”

Tony prided himself in being a man that wasn’t easily caught off guard, but sometimes Loki had a way of snatching his tongue. After a moment in which he sincerely hoped his warming face didn’t betray his answer, he held up the part he had ripped from the suit and pointed to a drawer. “Go grab me another one of these things, would you?”

Loki did, and then he watched as Stark finally solved the mystery of the upside-down thigh plate and put the leg of his suit back together. “How do you recall where each small piece came from? There are so many and they look so similar.”

“Same way you remember all of your magic stuff?” Tony guessed. “All right, time to get this show on the road. You might want to back up, Bambi. This shop’s a little smaller than my one back home and this test didn’t go so well the first time.”

Loki moved to the back of the room and watched with interest as Tony moved this and that about until he had a decent clearing. Then he stood in the middle, bounced up and down on his toes a few times, and took what appeared to be a fighting stance, one arm up and the other extended, palm to the ceiling. 

“All right Jarvis, let’s go.” He braced himself, but nothing happened. “Damned-” He bit at his wrist and slapped his forearm a few times, making Loki wonder about the strange noise that came from his arm, then tried again. This time when he thrust his palm out, one of the armor pieces on his table shuddered, lit up, and flew across the room. Loki watched with fascination as it locked onto his hand and slowly unfolded itself until it reached his elbow. Another piece took flight and attached itself to his shoulder. He repeated his first motion with the other arm and the second arm piece responded. 

Tony couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride in his work when he saw Loki’s awed expression. Each piece came at him and attached into the others, all of them sliding into place like a three dimensional puzzle of gold and red. The face plate, as it liked to do, flew at him at a strange angle. Happy to show off a bit, he leapt into the air and flipped upside down, meeting the plate perfectly. The floor shook when he landed and he hoped Bruce wasn’t downstairs.  
.  
Assuming there would be no more flying parts, Loki advanced and looked the suit over carefully. He traced long fingers along the seams as he inspected. “Very impressive, Man of Iron. If I didn’t know you as well as I do now, I would be hard pressed to believe that a single human could create something so absolutely intriguing.” He stopped circling Tony and tapped on the chest piece of the suit where the arc reactor glowed brightly. 

Tony watched as Loki’s fingers slid over the metal, mapping out the bumps where each piece fit into the next. It crossed his mind that if Loki had been born in this world, he might have given Tony a run for his money when it came to creating things. He could tell by the way the god studied everything Tony did that he was more than interested.

“Maybe, if you stick around for a little while after all this, I’ll teach you some of this stuff we call science. Math too. I think you’d really like math.”

“I would enjoy that very much, Anthony.”

Tony stilled, then the suit opened its various latches and clasps and unfolded from around him. He stepped out just inches from Loki and it folded itself back together behind him. “That’s the first time you’ve called me by my first name.”

“Is it?” Loki looked down to meet Tony’s eyes and Tony wished the god wasn’t quite so tall. 

“Are you plotting something? Ulterior motive? Should I be worried?” A small grin betrayed his mock-seriousness. 

Loki stepped a bit closer, until they were nearly touching. “World destruction. Absolutely. Possibly,” Loki answered to each of his questions. A grin tugged at his lips too and he dared to slip his hand around Tony’s.

Both of them jumped in surprise when thunder cracked so loudly outside that it seemed to shake the entire building. Tony had nearly become deaf to the rain, having heard it in the background for days, but now it poured so loudly that it was impossible to ignore. “Your staff should be ready by now,” Tony pointed out.

“You are correct. This storm must be stopped soon or this city will drown. I am sure it has spread quite far by now.” Loki reluctantly released Tony’s hand and let him get the staff.

"I don't know if it will work as well as it used to, but if you can get a lightpole to soak up your magic, I'm sure you'll be fine." Tony set the staff in Loki’s hands.

“I suppose we shall find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I was going to add this chapter way sooner but I've never really been happy with it and I finally decided to just rewrite the whole damn thing. It's a lot better now. I purposely mirrored the suit-assembly with the Iron Man 3 one because I love that sequence, but since my story takes place before IM3, it also replaces it in a way. So yeah. Tony suiting up and impressing the pants off Loki had to be done.
> 
> I hope this chapter is okay -///-
> 
> P.S. Kudos are my lifeblood!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO ALL!
> 
> I apologize for my absence! I've not abandoned this story but a promotion, dead laptop, new computer, and distaste for the pre-written version of chapter 15 prevented me from updating.
> 
> I will continue this story very soon, but for now this is just a preview of chapter fifteen and a short note to let you know that I haven't abandoned it! Thank you so much for all of your kind comments and kudos!

It was Tony’s turn to step back and watch Loki work. He held the staff firmly, allowing a small amount of his magic to flow into it. “It feels a bit odd, but I suppose I will get used to it.”

“Can you… fire it? Or whatever you do?”

Loki lifted the staff and aimed it at the farthest wall. The tip glowed for a short second, and then chaos erupted. Tony saw Loki go flying before the light from the explosion blinded him completely and sent him hurtling into a wall. His tools crashed around him and his scotch glass shattered next to him. In an effort to escape the heavy metal tool case that was about to fall, he scrambled onto his hands and knees and leapt out of the way. The shards from the glass cut into his hand and it bled, but he was on his feet and crossing the room long before he noticed. 

“Shit!” One of the tables shifted and Tony went for it, prying it off of Loki’s crumpled form and tossing it away. "Are you okay?" Loki was curled over on himself, forehead pressed against the ground and arms wrapped tightly around his middle. "Loki?"

The god wheezed as if the air had been knocked out of him, then groaned quietly. Tony repeated his name. Slowly, a pair of blood red eyes turned to him, looking him up and down like a scared animal. Loki's skin was a deep, icy blue that reminded Tony of being underwater. Darker blue lines decorated his face in various patterns, disappearing beyond his clothing. "Mock me, I dare you," Loki finally hissed. His eyes were murderous.

"I didn't do that! I didn't do anything to the staff. I just put it back together..." Loki shoved Tony away and staggered to his feet, going to inspect the staff that lay smoking on the floor.

"I know this is not your doing. It is Eindrok's spell. He must have cursed the other half of the staff before returning it to my hands." He tossed the staff back on the ground, as if disgusted by it.

"Is it permanent?" Shoving his self preservation instincts aside, Tony followed Loki across the room and stared closely at his skin. "Does it hurt?"

Loki stared at him like he'd grown another head, then sighed and crossed his arms. His eyes focused on the floor, the wall, anywhere but Tony's face. "The blast stripped me of all of my magic yet again, though it will not last for nearly as long. However, that magic includes the disguise Odin wove for me as a babe. This is my true form. A Jotun. A monster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...to be continued! This is just a preview of Chapter 15!


End file.
